Teacher Profile: Chris Kennedy

Though Chris Kennedy graduated this month from MIT with degrees in physics and chemistry, his tour with MIT's ESP isn't quite up yet. This summer, he'll be teaching "A Whirlwind Tour of Mathematics," which will introduce higher-level math concepts to students who may not have formally studied calculus.

"This class is going to be a lot of fun," Chris said. "I've been putting these ideas together in my head for the past three years."

Chris came to MIT with the desire to teach high school students, but had no formal teaching experience. Over his four years, he has taught over 150 students, including Vincent Lee, MIT Class of 2013, who is now ESP's lead designer. He's now seen his teaching style develop from a more traditional lecture format to a more experimental discovery format.

"I love thinking about how to order my lessons and how to arrange ideas for maximal shock value," Chris said. "It's so satisfying to see students turn over that last stone and have that 'Oh!' moment."

Even though Chris didn't major in math, his love for teaching math and his digging into math research for new ideas has inspired him to consider becoming a mathematics professor. "Were it not for MIT, I'm not sure I would have given thought to pursuing this," he said.

Learn more about Chris and his 21 (!) t-shirts from MIT programs at 21daysofesp.wordpress.com.

What We're Reading

Dan Meyer works for Google when he's not teaching math to struggling middle schoolers. His blog on the mathematics of everyday life is here.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discusses the importance of engaging with challenging, enjoyable activities over a lifetime. Listen to a speech by him here.

Upcoming Programs

June 30-August 12 — Junction at MIT, Cambridge, MA. College-level classes on a variety of topics, Monday-Thursday evenings. $600, financial aid available. Application due May 31.

July 11-August 22 — HSSP at MIT, Cambridge, MA. Continuing classes every Sunday on a wide variety of topics. $20, fee waivers available.

October 2 — Splash at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Free.

November 13-14 — Splash at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. $40, fee waivers available.

November 20-21 — Splash at MIT, Cambridge, MA. $30, fee waivers available.

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