Sue Ravalese – Math

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of teaching is learning along-side my students. I enjoy listening to my students discuss their ideas with other students as they develop their understanding. I particularly like hearing them disagree and enthusiastically try to convince each other that their viewpoint is the correct one. I look forward to my students asking me questions that I need to think about and sharing insights that get me to see things from a different perspective.

Why did you decide to teach Math?

I decided to teach math because it was the subject I had to work the hardest at. I figured out if I was persistent and put a lot of effort into my work, I could do very well. What has kept me teaching math is there are always new mathematical connections to make and challenging topics to explore no matter how many times I’ve taught the same course.

How would you summarize your teaching philosophy?

I believe students can learn complex topics given instruction that meets their needs, consistent support, time to learn, and internally-driven effort.

What is a piece of advice you have for students at CC?

Teachers always ask you to show your knowledge by explaining your thought processes and mapping out your work.   My advice to you as you travel through life is to use what you’ve been taught: let others come to depend on your carefully thought out decision making, leave a trail of good work, and have confidence that your good work will speak for itself.

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing students today?

The biggest challenge that faces students today is trying to create balance in their lives. Managing all the demands of their very scheduled lives and meeting others’ expectations makes balance extremely hard to achieve.