One afternoon in April, students in Doug Whitesell’s advanced-placement calculus class were preparing for the exam they would be taking in May.
That day’s lesson dealt with reasoning and problem-solving skills. The idea was to reinforce strategies that save time and lead to a logical solution of a problem.
Whitesell, a mathematics teacher at Elmwood Park High School, interacts with his students by asking questions, demonstrating techniques and calling on them to solve problems from practice test packets.
“I approach the material from a conceptual angle. I want to get them to think about the calculus behind the problem. If they understand that, there’s usually not a `problem’ any more,” says Whitesell, who has been at the school for two years.
Success in mathematics depends on deductive reasoning and divergent thinking skills, he says. Students are better able to apply mathematical operations if they understand the concepts.
“We’re using methods of instruction that help our students with mathematical concepts. Problem-solving and reasoning skills are the foundation,” says Whitesell, who has been a teacher for 15 years.
Giving students the ability to solve problems is the goal of all mathematics instruction, says Whitesell, who for a year also has been mathematics curriculum coordinator for Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 (the high school, a junior high school and two elementary schools).
“That goes right along with a student’s ability to use deductive reasoning as a tool,” he says. “Students have to know how to use critical-thinking skills to solve problems.
“You can use a calculator to do the operations, but you have to understand the concept in order to use the calculator. That’s where critical thinking comes in.”
Students also must use mathematics as a form of communication, he adds. That means, they must be able “to speak the language.”
“Students should be able to communicate their answers to test graders. They have to be able to explain the thought process. To do that, they have to know and understand the abstract language and symbolism used in mathematics,” says Whitesell, who also teaches introduction to algebra, pre-calculus and computer programming to students at various levels.
“I think the hardest part about teaching calculus is getting the students to understand,” says Arturo Aguilar, 18, who graduated in June. “He gets us to communicate with him. He encourages us to ask questions, and he’ll work with you on problems.”
Ogert Fisniku, 19, who also graduated in June, says Whitesell “is very willing to help students. He comes in early and stays late. He wants us to do well.”
The concept of mathematics as a form of communication also helps students see the relationship between math and other academic disciplines, Whitesell says.
“It’s important for kids to see the connection between math concepts and other subjects like music, art and history. If they understand how fractions and geometry are applied to music and art, they have more reason to study it. They see a concrete example–a real-world application–of an abstract concept.”
In addition, technology has changed the way math is taught, Whitesell says. The use of graphing calculators and computers, for example, allows students to concentrate on problem-solving rather than on the monotony of calculations.
“They also provide visuals of abstractions that used to be difficult or nearly impossible to see,” he adds. “Now you can graph them or use a computer model to explain it. Technology enables kids to visualize and better understand what math really is–logical thinking and problem-solving.”
Salvatore Messina, 17, another June graduate, says Whitesell “is not one for shortcuts. If you don’t understand it, he’ll repeat it or try another approach. He knows where you go wrong in your thinking, and he works with you until you understand. He doesn’t hurry to get through things.”
Principal James White describes Whitesell as “dynamic, enthusiastic, conscientious and hard-working. He truly loves teaching. He’s one who works to find ways to get the best possible performance from all his students.”
As math curriculum coordinator, Whitesell works with math teachers from the two elementary schools and one junior high that feed into the high school. He says the goal is “to provide an outstanding math curriculum that is founded in problem-solving and critical thinking. When our kids leave here, their math skills will be second to none.”
Another goal “is to instill in the kids the idea of being a lifelong learner,” he adds. “It’s important for them to understand that learning is an ongoing process, and we should be open to learning new things.”
Whitesell was born and grew up on the Northwest Side of Chicago. He graduated from Schurz High School in June 1973 and enrolled in the general engineering program at the University of Illinois at Chicago that fall. In winter 1976, at the beginning of his junior year, he decided to take some time off from school.
“I had a strong math and physics background, but I didn’t think I wanted to be an engineer,” he recalls. “So I decided to leave school for a while and see what happened.”
So that winter he went to California, where he was hired as a tour guide at Universal Studios in Burbank. In December 1976, he returned to Chicago to continue his education at UIC.
“The more I thought about it, the more I realized I’d probably like to be a teacher,” Whitesell says. “I enjoyed my math classes, and so I looked at what I could do with them. I’m a good communicator, and I thought I would like working with kids. My two sisters are teachers, and they set an example for me.”
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in June 1978. That fall, he took a position as a math teacher at all high school levels at Midwestern Christian Academy, a private school in Chicago. He remained there until June 1982, when he took a job as a math teacher at Morton West High School, Berwyn. He taught there until January 1991, when he left to take a job with Vectra Corp. in Lincolnshire as an engineer working on nuclear power plant modifications.
“It was something I wanted to try,” Whitesell remembers. “Math is the kind of subject that allows you to do something like that. There’s no way I would have got that job if I didn’t have that strong math background.”
In fall 1994, he quit and took the position as a math teacher at Elmwood Park High School.
He returned to teaching because he missed interacting with students, he says, and because “teaching is one of the most challenging jobs you can do. It’s much more difficult than doing nuclear power plant modifications.
“You’re working with several groups of students who have various ability levels, interests and learning styles. You have to make a lot of adjustments to try and meet everybody’s needs.”
The school, 8201 Fullerton Ave., has about 750 students. It opened in fall 1954. Before then, Elmwood Park students attended either Proviso East High School in Maywood or Steinmetz High School in Chicago.
Whitesell, who lives in Chicago, finds his job rewarding, because “I feel like I’m making a difference in students’ lives. You see kids go out, become successful, and it makes you feel good to know you have been a part of that.”
