Teaching from the Heart: Jason Kalafatis’ Transition From Tutor to Teacher
Jason Kalafatis is a student in Northwestern’s Master of Science in Education program, with a concentration in Secondary Teaching - Math in the School of Education and Social Policy.
Growing up Jason Kalafatis was a bright, successful math student. Both his father and his grandfather were engineers, so it seemed only natural that he would pursue engineering too. However, once enrolled in the civil engineering program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, it didn’t feel like the right fit. After graduating, he began working as a math tutor while searching for engineering positions.
What started out as a temporary job blossomed into a new career path. Kalafatis discovered that what he enjoyed most was building relationships with his students.
“As time went on, I realized that if this was all that I did with my life, I’d be happy.” Kalafatis said.
He applied to Northwestern’s Master of Science in Education & Social Policy Program.
One of the most influential courses for Kalafatis was MS_ED 418 Topics in Teaching Math—Geometry, taught by Professor James Lynn. Lynn introduced him to a new way of teaching math. As a student, Kalafatis was used to a model where the teacher presented and students worked independently.
“Professor Lynn was very good about giving opportunities for students to explain their thinking to each other,” Kalafatis said.
Lynn never told the students how to solve math problems but rather facilitated class discussions. “You get to hear what the other students think, and you also get to know them very well. It makes you feel very close to each other.”
This experience inspired him to structure his future math classes similarly.
Kalafatis had a chance to pilot this model during his student teaching placement, which concluded in March. While he values understanding his students’ thinking, he found it challenging to find time for one-on-one interaction.
“I knew I wasn’t going to be able to give as much individual attention as I would like, but my mentor helped me plan to spread that one-on-one time across multiple classes,” he said.
As he reflects on his student teaching experience, Kalafatis said one aspect that surprised him was the connections he was able to forge with his students. “When I began student teaching, my goal was to help students learn, and if they didn’t like my methods, so be it.” Kalafatis said.
“It wasn’t my goal for students to like me, but my mentor and my coaches observed that the students can sense my genuine care for them,” he continued, “School can be very isolating sometimes, and when I was in school, I remember several teachers who I felt a deep connection with.”
Kalafatis smiled. “I’d like to work towards being that for my students.”