Teacher of the Day: Michael Skalak

Today's teacher is Michael Skalak. Though he has taught for the Saturday Enrichment Program in the past, this is his first year as a teacher for the Summer Enrichment Program.

Michael teaches "Top Secret: The Mathematics of Cryptography" for 7th and 8th graders.

What's your class like? Can you describe it for us?

We explore cryptography from a mathematical and programmatic perspective. We do a lot of programming in Snap (a Scratch-like setup), as well as exploring some statistics and the properties of modular arithmetic.  

What's something about you that someone might not expect if they didn't know you well?

I have a 75 gallon aquarium with about 30 fish in it.

What about SEP made you want to work here?

I heard about the program from [SEP academic coordinator] Matthew Reames. It seemed like it would be fun.  

What do you think is the most difficult part of the job?

Getting up at 7:00 AM. 

What do you think is the most rewarding part of the job?

I really enjoy teaching students the power of programming. For some students, it's like experiencing a new world they never knew existed. 

What do you think about gifted education?

I am working towards a Gifted Education endorsement as part of my Master's of Teaching. I think gifted ed should be more focused on acceleration, especially in math and related fields.  

Given infinite supplies and opportunities, what sort of class would you teach?

It would be fun to get some virtual reality/ motion capture equipment and use it to both create and interact with worlds programmed by the students.  

What's your biggest pet peeve?

Large crowds of people in confined spaces, like planes.