Mike Nevins, a full-time faculty member, mathematics instructor, the Faculty Council President and the Math Center Director, has a constant energy in everything that he does, from encouraging students to do math to working on projects with faculty members.
“I don’t know what I like about math. I just love it, that’s it,” said Nevins. “I like puzzle solving, I like puzzles that I know have a solution and aren’t easy and I love Sudoku, or big ugly puzzles like with a thousand puzzle pieces – a problem solving thing.”
 |
| As a math instructor, Mike Nevins works hard to help students have a positive attitude and stay motivated. |
Having a bachelor degree from Western Washington University in Mathematics, and masters from Eastern Washington University in Mathematics Education, Nevins finds teaching math a challenge.
“The first challenge is the students’ perception as math students, where mostly people, whether consciously or unconsciously, don’t believe that they can do math,” said Nevins. “So that is my biggest struggle; to convince someone that they can.”
Nevins added that the next struggle is to keep students motivated. He teaches students that even if they fail the first time, they should stay motivated and keep working because it eventually pays off.
Not only is Nevins passionate about teaching math and working as the Faculty Council President, but he also finds joy in his family and always puts them first. In his downtime, he goes to soccer games with his wife, and does many outdoor activities like disc golf, hiking, and camping.
"Never stop learning, continually
improving, learning and trying new
things. That's what's important."
Q: What’s your hobby?
A: My biggest hobby is playing disc golf. Actually, I’m building a disc course. I like it, it’s easier and free. During the winter, I love skiing, and in summer, I love hiking and camping. Besides that I also play others sports such as ping-pong, Basketball, Football, Softball, and Pool.
I am huge soccer fan; my wife and I have had season tickets for the Sounders for a few years. Every Saturday and Sunday morning I watch the soccer game at home.
Q: What’s your favorite soccer team?
A: Sounders and Manchester United
Q: What’s your favorite TV Show?
A: Arrested Development, I like it a lot, and obviously Sport center on ESPN.
Q: What’s your favorite book?
A: Moonwalking with Einstein.
Q: What’s your favorite band?
A: Radiohead and Pink Floyd
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: Probably teaching here, and trying to deal with growing kids and family life. It’s just in the same place with one or two more kids. For me, family has to come first, people always say either you work to live or you live to work, and I work to live.
I do this and I love this and family is always my first thought. That’s the beautiful thing of working as a teacher, you can put your family first, but at other careers you can’t. I get free time, I make enough money and I can hang out with my family a lot. Family is number one.
Q: What’s your motto of your life?
A: My personal motto is a quote by Charles Dubois: “The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become.”
A day in life of Mike Nevins:
“I drive really fast by an hour to commute from Bellingham to the office. Then there’s answering the emails until I get a lot of work for my position as the Faculty Council President and Math Learning Center. After that, I continue to teach my classes. In the afternoon, I’m usually busy working for advising students or improving curriculum and lots of meetings, then I go home.”
Story by Ratna Wahyuningsih
0 comments:
Post a Comment