Christian Johann M.

STEM, Math, and Problem Solving

Boston

• I studied Music alongside Math in college— they have more in common than you might think!
• I've always been a bit of a nerd. I used to compete in Math when your age!
• I love chess as well... I would be happy to chat if you share my interest or maybe even play a game.

Hello, my name is Christian! I am a recent graduate from Brown University in Math and Music, but I have been working in education since I was in high school. I specialize in Math and STEM, and I my classes seek primarily to engage students through (1) hands-on group engineering projects, and (2) exploring the heart of math...its beauty, its enjoyable nature, and its ability to teach us logic and problem-solving, rather than its computational utility. My approach uniquely incorporates math in ways unburdened by notation in the form of extensive use of logic puzzles and creative mathematical thinking, which results in a "leveling of the playing field" in my class; those who are unfamiliar with traditional notation are able to participate and those who rely on it find that it isn't so simple to apply. This results in excellent group work for a diverse body of students, and the ability to apply out-of-the-box thinking to math. As far as the engineering projects, I try to get maximum engagement out of the students by applying budgets/constraints to their project and introducing an objective measuring standard by which we can have a friendly competition on those assignments. I also ask that they think deeply about their designs and explain their reasoning to me. What I love most about teaching is seeing the moment when a student realizes they are capable of solving a problem they initially thought was beyond them. I want students to leave my classes not only with stronger math and STEM skills, but with greater confidence in their ability to think creatively, work with others, and tackle unfamiliar challenges.