Meet Wenxi
As a child, I thought everyone all over the world learned math the same way I did. When I found out that practically no one else outside of Singapore did, I was incredulous at first, and later on felt incredibly lucky and grateful of the math education I received. Now that I teach “Singapore math,” it seems like I have come full circle. What a dream it is to revisit and give back with the curriculum that made me.
I never set out to be a math educator or to pursue a PhD. I wanted to be an architect for almost two decades, but after the first year of architecture school, I realized that architecture was not going to be the career for me. Quitting architecture school is one of the most difficult decisions I ever made because I was giving up on such a big dream on mine. For a while, I was at a loss because I didn’t know what else I could or wanted to major in college. One day, I asked myself what drew me to architecture in the first place. I have always loved the technical and mathematical aspect of architecture, as well as the creative and artistic component of it, so I ended up double majoring in mathematics and art history - the two disciplines that were closest to what I was seeking in architecture.
What I did not know when I declared mathematics as one of my majors was that college mathematics is nothing like the mathematics I had enjoyed in middle and high school. Call me a nerd but I love solving math problems; they are like puzzles to me. However, college mathematics was all about proofs and I am not a fan of that. In hindsight, I would have been much happier if I chose some kind of engineering instead, but alas, life works in mysterious ways. My struggles in math in college turned out to be necessary because the experience made me the educator I am today.
One of my greatest strengths is my ability to empathize with my students. Even though I may not understand what my students are failing to grasp in a specific moment, I can 100% relate to the frustration, irritation, and desperation that comes with the challenges of math. You may be wondering what emotions have anything to do with the teaching and learning math, but here’s why it’s important: when we fail to acknowledge and properly manage one’s negative emotions towards math, chances are they will start hating math and disengaging in math class. However, when a teacher is tuned into their students’ feelings and sentiments and can relate to them, they can harness that power and nurture perseverance and resilience in their students.
I once went to a math professor for help in college and instead of answering my questions about the content of her course, she told me that I should consider dropping mathematics as my major because I was simply not cut out for it. I was disappointed and angry at the same time, but her words hardened my resolve to graduate with a mathematics degree even if I was last in my class. After I started teaching and graduate school, I replayed this interaction many times in my head and I vowed to never be an educator or an academic like her. Unlike my college math professor, I believe that everyone is cut out for mathematics and I refuse to give up on any of my students.
Math education is a difficult industry to be in. Math is easily America’s least favorite subject and math education is unrelatable and out of touch of everyday lives. On top of it all, it is simply uncool. Working on a math education PhD is certainly not the most interesting dinner party conversation topic; most people try to change the subject as soon as possible. But this is kind of why I love it. It is an uncharted territory that I think is shrouded in so much fear and misinformation. My goal is to bridge the gap between practice and theory and make math and math education more accessible. I focus on not just delivering high-quality math education to K-12 students, but also on informing and teaching parents and teachers on how to best support children in their math education journey.