Teachers are like the lighthouse, enlightening all the succeeding generations. They devoted themselves to teaching and research, winning many students' respect and love.

The series of interviews with teachers will share their insights on education so that more people can get close to GTIIT's classes and teachers and know about its characteristics and educational philosophy.

After replying mountains of emails and handing over the just-completed script of problem solution to another teacher between busy classes, Aviram Moreno is finally able to take a rest and accept the interview by News Department.

Aviram joined Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in 2018 as a tutor of Mathematics with Computer Science Program. The young Israeli teacher is called "Uncle Wolf" by the students, for he always holds different colors of pens between his fingers to save the time to switch while writing, which resembled the posture of the Marvel character Wolverine.

Unlike the rough nickname, "Uncle Wolf" is widely liked by students, for his patient and detailed teaching, making him win the award of GTIIT Excellence in Teaching for two years.

Create a Stress-Free Classroom

Looking back to his very first teaching experience, Aviram feels that it seems like only yesterday. "When I first walked into the classroom, all of the students, with enthusiasm and hope in their big eyes, stared at me. It was at that moment that I realized the actual weight of my job, from then and on I knew I would never let them down."

Aviram has his own teaching philosophy: "Attending a math tutorial is a cognitive effort induced within an emotional environment. Feelings such as anxiety, frustration and mild sadness are not foreign to a student who encounters a difficult exercise. As a teacher, I believe that a large part of my job is to convey the teaching material in a clear, objective and enjoyable way as possible and at the same time to preserve an emotional environment that supports and enables learning, that is, creating a stress-free classroom. A frustrated or anxious student stops in those moments, and in the moments to come, the learning process and shifts reluctantly to concentrate on these negative feelings or on their correction. While doing so, the student misses a significant part of the lesson and develops a gap. The rest of that student's day will no longer be the same as it started. 

We, as teachers, should be fully aware of this intrinsic emotional process and make sure that every student leaves our classroom with a sense of competence. This sense is not solely a result of a qualitative teaching abilities, but in my opinion, it is a result of a positive emotional environment that enveloped the lesson throughout."

How to create a positive supportive environment during a math tutorial? Aviram has an answer: The idea of doing so consists of two main points. One, convey to them a relaxed and light body language. Enter the class with a smile and greet them, don't look too serious when you enter the class or during the lesson and don't look upset (even if you are having a bad day). During the lesson itself, convey to the students that you enjoy what you do, that you have joy towards the subject you are teaching and you even enjoy the very fact that you are teaching it. Thus, the students first of all feel that they are in good hands and secondly, they feel that they have someone to trust. So, in effect, we as teachers reduce their concerns covertly, even with amiable nonchalance.

"The second and more accessible point for the teacher in my opinion (the first way is not easy and depends on the character and nature of the teacher) is to reflect the student's feelings (not thoughts) during the lesson. You don't have to talk about it, we are not psychologists, but you need to confirm their feelings. If we encounter a difficult exercise, then I don't rush to the solution. I believe that seeing the teacher solving something difficult quickly might discourage students. The students might get caught into a cycle of thoughts such as 'How am I supposed to solve it so fast or elegantly? It seems impossible for me.' 

Instead of that, I wait, I scratch my forehead and ask them for some ideas, I let them feel that I was having difficulties too when I first met the exercise, me, the teacher, who allegedly knows and masters everything. This approach relaxes them and even enables them to think on their own solutions and not only struggling understanding mine. After finishing solving a difficult exercise, I will always wipe off imaginary sweat drops from my forehead, it always rises smiles among the students and again, makes them feel that it was tough but feasible. Not only that, but they even had an active part in solving it."

"This kind of 'acting'," Aviram explains, "shows to the students that the teachers, same as students, feel difficulties and sometimes even frustration. But, by asking questions, being determined and committed to succeed, you will always find a way to overcome any obstacle.

This approach conveys the following message to the students: It is OK to get stuck, it's OK to seek help, it's OK to ask, don't stay anxious and frustrated, there is always something to do and the help is always around the corner."

Meeting with problems and seeking help from teachers and friends are common in learning new knowledge, and also important in the development of a student. 

Aviram summarizes his studying experience with one sentence "If you are not confused, then you are not studying anything new". "Sometimes, solving confusion requires asking questions, do things that you didn't try before, grow out of your own skin."

Aviram has become one of the students' favorite teachers for his keenness to teach, and because of his enthusiasm and carefulness to students, making him won the Annual Excellence Award in Teaching of GTIIT for 2020 and 2021.

Pass Love for Math to the Next Generation

On how he got into mathematics, Aviram recalled an adventure from his childhood. One day in his fourteen, he was wandering around as usual, and came across a colorful book lying in the trash with the name "Fermat's Last Theorem" written on the cover. At that time, Aviram didn't know too much about Fermat and Math, but just took the book home and began to read it.

This young man was then fully fascinated by the interesting science book, and kept on reading, reading and reading it. "It made me fall in love with mathematics, I was amazed by what I have read. After finishing reading the book, I have decided that math is what I want to study." Aviram recalled the determination he had made at that time.

The road to study is not always smooth. Higher education is expensive in Israel, and after high school, Aviram worked for three years (after three years of army service) to save money for further studies in a university. When he finally managed to study mathematics in a university class, he found it difficult than expected. "Similar as the math tests in Chinese college entrance examination, the one in Israel also focuses on solution and calculation. Therefore, like many GTIIT freshmen, I have struggled to adapt myself to college mathematics at the beginning," Aviram said.

The math textbooks in high school emphasize more on problem solving while the university courses require logical thinking and mainly concentrating on the theory. "I often spend twice as much time reviewing my lecture notes, I even wrote sidenotes to my lecture notes and even sometimes footnotes to my sidenotes, just to make sure that I fully understood the theory from the lectures." Aviram said. On the path of studying mathematics, he believes in "The theory is the cornerstone of mathematics, don't rush into exercises before mastering the theory".

At GTIIT, Aviram tutors all mathematical courses of three first semesters of all departments in GTIIT. "My job is a great and important mission since those courses are the first significant step of GTIIT's students in the academic world." Aviram added.

"How to learn Math?" Students always come to Aviram as he is also the Academic Counselor for GTIIT 2022 Cohort. "Don't leave any questions for later. Otherwise you will gradually develop a gap you won't be able to close and you will find yourself in a stressful situation during your exams' period." Aviram suggested to the students.