Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Douglas
Dr. Douglas is a fairly new teacher at OHS, having joined us last year, whose goal is to make math enjoyable and interesting for his students. Find out more about Dr. Douglas in Jocelyn Mesham's interview with him.
Pixel Journal: Where are you from originally and what was it like growing up there?
Mr. Douglas: I grew up in Forest Hills, which is in Queens, a borough of New York City. My parents divorced when I was 2 years old. I lived with my mother and her father until my mother died in a car accident when I was 11. Then I lived with my mother’s sister, her husband, and their son (my cousin) as well as my grandfather. Suffice it to say that I had a very difficult childhood. The good part of that is that I am now full of gratitude much of the time that my life is now good.
PJ: How/why/when did you decide to become a teacher?
Mr. Douglas: My father was a very brilliant mathematician. I originally was going to be a professor like him, but I found the math in graduate school very dry as well as difficult. What I enjoyed was being a teaching assistant. I think math is the worst taught subject, so I’ve spent much of my life trying to figure out how to teach so others find it as enjoyable and interesting as I do.
PJ: Where did you go to university/graduate school and what did you major in? Did you enjoy your time there?
Mr. Douglas: I went to Princeton as an undergraduate. I did well academically, but found it quite difficult socially. It was not a good choice for me. My family strongly encouraged me to accept once I was admitted, and I took their advice. I attended graduate school at UC Berkeley. That’s when I came out to California and have lived here ever since. I completed all the work for a PhD except for the dissertation. (In that, I had lots of company!)
PJ: If applicable, what other institutions have you taught at? What, specifically, did you teach there?
Mr. Douglas: I taught at three private high schools: York School in Monterey in the 1970’s, three years at Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA, and 22 years at the College Preparatory School (a terrible name but a very good school), also in Oakland. From 2007 to 2014 I coached and provided professional development for math teachers K-12 from The Lawrence Hall of Science, a science museum associated with UC Berkeley.
PJ: Do you have outside research, published work, etc.?
Mr. Douglas: I have published one article in the Mathematics Teacher magazine and present frequently at conferences for math teachers. I am currently working with Henri Picciotto, a retired math teacher at The Urban School in San Francisco, on approaching proof in Geometry from a purely transformational perspective. We will be giving a 3-hour mini-conference on this topic for math teachers in December as part of the annual California Math Council - North conference at Asilomar, CA.
PJ: What attracted you to the OHS?
Mr. Douglas: When I was laid off from Lawrence Hall due to lack of funds for my position, I knew I wasn’t ready to retire. A former student, Rafe Mazzeo, is a math professor at Stanford. He hooked me up with Malone Schools Online Network (MSON), which uses Stanford for its tech. From there, I learned that OHS needed a math teacher for one course. So that’s how I got started last year. I only had 6 students last year, so this is my first year with full sections.
PJ: How is the OHS different from other schools?
Mr. Douglas: The online component, reduced class time, and flipped instructional model (students learn via lectures and mostly do problems in class) are the differences. But it’s less different from face-to-face teaching than most people think.
PJ: What do you like or dislike most about the OHS?
Mr. Douglas: The students are exceptionally able and motivated, even compared to the elite private schools I taught it. I also like my math colleagues, though the distance learning part means I don’t have a lot of contact with them. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to come to all the staff meetings, and will also miss the next two. I’m hoping that once I can attend them regularly, I’ll develop closer relationships with some of the other teachers.
PJ: Do you have a favorite quote/book/text? Why is it your favorite?
Mr. Douglas: I’m more of a non-fiction reader, especially about education and the environment, and also a political junkie. Mindset, by Carol Dweck, certainly qualifies as a seminal work that changed the way I think about teaching students who struggle. Carol Dweck is a world-renowned psychologist who is based at Stanford! Along with Jo Boaler, also at Stanford, she has contributed mightily to our understanding of how to teach math.
I found a mug with a quote I like very much. It has a picture of a turtle with the words: “Behold the turtle, who never makes progress unless he sticks his neck out."
PJ: What is your passion?
Mr. Douglas: In addition to those already mentioned, I love to dance and keep active. I have been in amateur dance performing groups for over 30 years, and am very grateful that I can still do it at my age. My current group is Jubilee American Dance Theatre. You can find out more at www.jubileedance.com.
PJ: Is there anything you want the OHS community to know about you or to know generally?
Mr. Douglas: I was very shy and fearful as a child, but was thankfully able to overcome that as an adult. I try to push through my fears and encourage others to do the same.
PJ: Who was your favorite professor and why was he/she your favorite?
Mr. Douglas: I had a philosophy professor my freshman year at Princeton. Unfortunately, I don’t remember his name. What I do remember is his final lecture on the theme “Beware the hot scoop.” I still remember that!
PJ: Outside of teaching, what does your life look like?
Mr. Douglas: Aside from what I already said, I have a wife (retired high school art teacher), a 2-year old sheltie named Bug (cute as a bug), and a son, daughter in law, and granddaughter who live in San Francisco. I like to garden, and particularly like growing fruit and vegetables. I never seem to have enough time for all I want to do.
PJ: If you could meet one historical or literary figure, who would it be and why?
Mr. Douglas: I do like history and think more of us should learn from it. One such figure I would like to meet would be Martin Luther King. I attended the march on Washington in 1963 (yes, I’m that old) and was very inspired. He fought against injustice effectively because he embraced non-violence and always took the moral high ground. I find that very admirable.
PJ: What is your favorite place in the world?
Mr. Douglas: I’d have to say Oakland, which is where I live. It’s one of the most diverse cities in the world. It has its problems, crime being one of them, but many of us who live there try to understand and remedy the root causes of social ills.
PJ: What’s your pedagogical approach to teaching?
Mr. Douglas: From Mary Laycock, now deceased: “It’s not what you cover, it’s what your students uncover.”