STAFF & FACULTY DIRECTORY PROFILE
William Van Doren
Job Title:
Math Teacher
Department:
Mathematics
Email:
Phone: (510) 577-9100
ext.
224
Started at O'Dowd:
2014
Degrees:
B.A - Oberlin College Master of Divinity - Harvard University
Originally from:
Washington, D.C. and Houston, TX
Why I Teach:
I teach because I love the art and the challenge of facilitating learning, and I feel called to work with teenagers. It is a very rewarding and dynamic job.
Most powerful teaching technique:
I find that a combination of two things is especially effective: a clear lecture style in which I model the problem solving process, with guided practice time in which I give students one-on-one attention.
Why are the subjects you teach important?:
Math allows us to measure, model, and predict so many things in our world, which makes it an extremely valuable skill. Even if a student is not going into a math-related career, the study of math builds fundamental skills that apply to life:to persevere in solving problems, be precise, use reason, and recognize the patterns and relationships that are all around us.
Favorite quotes:
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality" - Martin Luther King Jr.
Favorite trivia:
How many earths can fit in the sun? (A: About 1.3 million)
Recommended visual media:
The Shawshank Redemption, Back to the Future (childhood favorite)
Recommended reads:
Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse), Dune (Frank Herbert), Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison), The Poems of Hafiz
Hobbies or outside interests:
Creative Writing, Hip Hop, Hiking