Page 192 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

learn on their own. Celso Batalha, for example, a renowned professor of physics
at Evergreen Valley College, has set up a popular reading group for his students
about learning how to learn. And many professors use “active” and
“collaborative teaching” techniques in the classroom that give students a chance
to actively engage with the material and with each other. 8
One thing has surprised over the years. Some of the greatest teachers I’ve
ever met told me that when they were young, they were too shy, too tongue-tied

in front of audiences, and too intellectually incapable to ever dream of becoming
a teacher. They were ultimately surprised to discover that the qualities they saw
as disadvantages helped propel them into being the thoughtful, attentive, creative
instructors and professors they became. It seemed their introversion made them
more thoughtful and sensitive to others, and their humble awareness of their past
failings gave them patience and kept them from becoming aloof know-it-alls.

The Other Reason for Learning on Your Own—Quirky Test
Questions

Let’s return to the world of traditional learning in high school and college, where
a little insider knowledge will help you succeed. One secret of math and science
teachers is that they often take quiz and test questions from books that aren’t in

the assigned reading for the course. After all, it’s hard to come up with new test
questions each semester. This means that test questions often have slight
differences in terminology or approach that can throw you off your game even if
you are comfortable with your textbook and your teacher’s lectures. You can end
up thinking that you don’t have talent for math and science, when all you really

needed to do was look at the material through different lenses as you were
studying throughout the semester.

Beware of Intellectual Snipers

Santiago Ramón y Cajal had a deep understanding not only of how to conduct
science, but also of how people interact with one another. He warned fellow
learners that there will always be those who criticize or attempt to undermine