Tell us a little about yourself!
Mr. K: Hi my name is Karanvir Singh and I work for Ace and also a Web Development Intern at Queens College. I’ve been at Ace for about three months now.
Mr. Will: Hi, my name is Mr. William. I am an education director for the Pre-K for All Center and also an instructor here at Ace. I’ve been with Ace for about two years.
Ms. Annie: I work as a day by day teacher and I’ve been at Ace for 3 school years, making this my fourth!
Ms. Tavi: My name is Tavinda Arshad and I’ve been at Ace since last November.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Mr. K: I like to dance, play basketball, watch comedy clips, and watch gaming videos.
Mr. Will: In my free time I like to run, read, work out and eat!
Ms. Annie: I like to do hand-lettering, draw, watch TV, and hang out with my friends!
I’ve been trying to get back to finishing all of my incomplete books
Ms. Tavi: I like reading, watching anime and playing video games
What were your favorite subjects in school?
Mr. K: My favorite subjects in school include Calculus, American History, and any class related to computer science.
Mr. Will: I loved history in school.
Ms. Annie: I liked history, math, and science.
Ms. Tavi: My favorites were math, physics, chemistry and biology.
What subjects did you dislike? Why?
Mr. K: I disliked English and Chemistry. I didn’t enjoy reading too much, and all of my English teachers assigned too much reading and I didn’t like my chemistry teacher’s teaching style.
Mr. Will: In school, I didn’t like math because I wasn’t very good at it.
Ms. Annie: I disliked writing because I was never good at it and my grammar sucked.
Ms. Tavi: I really disliked accounting because my instructors were incredibly strict with the formatting.
What are your favorite topics to teach? Why?
Mr. K: I love to teach Pre-calc, Calc, Discrete Math, U.S. History, theoretical computer science, and elementary school science.
Mr. Will: I had a wonderful teacher who helped me develop my math skills and now it’s my favorite subject to teach.
Ms. Annie: I love teaching history mostly because I can go off on tangents about how the French Revolution is my favorite revolution.
Ms. Tavi: I love teaching math and physics because when you see the concepts click, you can’t go wrong anymore.
How do you get through to students who are reluctant to engage with the material?
Mr. K: If my students are reluctant to engage with any material, I make sure they do not give up on their work or themselves.
Mr. Will: Interest, play, fun - these are the foundations of learning. Students do better and are more engaged when they are interested in the material. Joy is a wonderful motivator.
Ms. Annie: I guilt them by being super-duper nice, but also work to get them interested by bringing in a game/competition element. Sometimes I also make/rework problems with their name or any outlandish information to catch their attention.
Ms. Tavi: I take a break and we talk about points of interest, share funny stories, cool down, and then try again with the material.
What are you excited about for the next few weeks?
Mr. K: I am excited to work with my students and challenging their abilities. It is incredibly gratifying watching my students grow as academic scholars with my help.
Mr. Will: Being able to sleep, my days have been very busy recently. Also Thanksgiving is soon!
Ms. Annie: I’m excited for the cooler weather because I get to wear my long coat, and I love fall fashion! Also, the upcoming holidays.
Ms. Tavi: Three things! Halloween, all of my favorite faces coming in, and new music being released by some of my favorite artists.
If you could be any kitchen appliance, what would you be? Why?
Mr. K: I would be a food processor because I have a lot of tools I can use for a wide range of situations and easily mix a bunch of ingredients for a satisfying result.
Mr. Will: A refrigerator because I am, like a fridge, a food container. I just walk too.
Ms. Annie: A fridge because you know I keep things fresh.
Ms. Tavi: Either a rice cooker or an electric kettle because the three things that I NEED in my life are rice, tea and coffee.
What household chore do you enjoy?
Mr. K: I enjoy preparing meals and cooking food for my family. Cooking brings out a creative sense in me that doesn’t happen otherwise. Although many people see it as a chore, I think of it as a stress reliever.
Mr. Will: None of them. Maybe cleaning.
Ms. Annie: Watering the indoor plants - Very important!
Ms. Tavi: Washing dishes - mostly because I’m a hygiene freak and I need to make sure my eating utensils are cleaned.