Math Guru: Transforming Math Education with Vanessa Vakharia
Vanessa Vakharia is on a mission to change the way people view math. As a math teacher and musician, she has a unique perspective on the subject. Despite facing challenges in math during her high school years, she eventually found success and realized that creativity and math can go hand in hand. This realization led her to establish "Math Guru" in Toronto, a space where students can feel comfortable exploring math and science.
Vakharia's approach to math education is all about giving the subject a "rebrand." She believes that math has a bad reputation and wants to show that everyone is capable of understanding and enjoying math. Her book, "Math Therapy: 5 Steps to Help Your Students Overcome Math Trauma and Build a Better Relationship With Math," aims to help students overcome their negative experiences with math and develop a positive attitude towards the subject.
Known as the "Lady Gaga of math education," Vakharia draws inspiration from the pop star's message of embracing one's true self. She encourages people to bring their whole selves to the field of mathematics, combining logic and creativity. Vakharia's goal is to show that math can be cool and accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or previous experiences with the subject.
During her visit to Ottawa for a conference hosted by Actua, a Canadian organization focused on STEM education for youth, Vakharia shared a simple trick for multiplying any digit between one and ten by nine. By using your fingers, you can quickly calculate the product of the multiplication. This trick is just one example of how Vakharia makes math fun and engaging for her students.
In conclusion, Vanessa Vakharia is a passionate advocate for changing the way math is perceived. Through her work at "Math Guru" and her book "Math Therapy," she aims to help students overcome their math trauma and develop a positive relationship with the subject. By combining her love for music and math, Vakharia hopes to inspire others to see the beauty and creativity in mathematics.