A day to remember

Today I had an experience which is not as common for mathematicians as they might like it to be.

Math is not a popular school subject. Most students regard it with resigned dislike, many with fear and loathing. Only a few enjoy it. Mathematicians, like policemen and tax inspectors, learn to conceal their calling at parties and other social occasions. The joke about the blind rabbit and the blind snake always strikes a chord with anyone who hears it.

Today, though, I spent the day with eight teenagers who, while they don't enjoy math and in some cases dread it, want to do well in it - and so had asked for a workshop on aspects which cause them difficulty. Not just a short workshop, either, but a full day. The deputy head teacher of their school had the vision to take up the idea, and the commited schools liaison officer of their local FE college made it happen, but the initiative came from the teenagers themselves.

I didn't know what to expect. I was braced for a difficult day which might end in disaster. Two hours of math is more than most students can really take without wilting. But, I couldn't have been more wrong.

They all arrived early, and together. They told me when they needed breaks, but returned promptly from them. They were animated, proactive and willing throughout, finished the day still enthusiastic about what they'd done, and were a delight to work with. They bubbled and fizzed all day with enthusiasm and determination for this subject they don't like very much. And they taught me a lot more than I taught them. A lot of university level math major students could learn a lot from them. I'd do it again like a shot, just for the pleasure of their company.

Abbie, Amy, Emma C, Emma H, Ethan, Jazz, Sam and Sara - thank you for one of the most stimulating, educational and rewarding days I've spent in a long while. I hope that you got as much out of the day as I did.