Candidate (NCF Alum Joni Pirnot) for new math professor (at Eckerd) emphasizes liberal arts approach

As part of the hiring process for a new mathematics teacher, Joni Pirnot, assistant professor candidate, was invited to participate in a teaching lecture in front of students and faculty. On Thursday, March 16, she gave a teaching presentation that emphasized the importance of flexibility in the classroom.
Pirnot begins her classes by asking what the students’ majors are and what kind of interests they have. She then caters the course based on what they’re going to be using calculus for.
…Pirnot believes it’s important to include interesting facts in lessons to help the students understand and connect to the math. She attributes this way of thinking to her arts background; she earned her BA from New College of Florida, a liberal arts college in Sarasota, and her MA and Ph.D At University of South Florida.