[Discretespring12] Discrete class yesterday

[Andreas Kloeckner]

Hi Noris,

I'm writing because yesterday's Discrete class kept going around in my
head, more specifically my behavior in response to your question on
whether we would keep doing proofs. I realize that my laughing in
response to your question was inappropriate, and I wish I hadn't. First
of all, I'd like to apologize again. It's easy to see how you might take
this in a way in which it wasn't meant, so let me explain.

To start with, I did in no way mean to belittle or make fun of you for
asking the question. I like that you (and everybody else in class) ask
questions, and I'll do my best to keep it that way.

What caused me to laugh is that, having shown you this (seemingly!)
complicated proof, I could see how you would think along the lines of
"OMG, what is this rubbish?" And I won't blame you. In effect, I realized
that I had scored an own goal, pedagogically. For better or worse, that
made me laugh.

While proofs remain on the agenda for our class, I'm committed to making
them far less strange to you (and everybody else) than they may seem
now. If you have any question at all, I want you to know that that
question is welcome and appreciated, be it in class or not.

Andreas

-- 
Andreas Kloeckner 
Room 1105A (Warren Weaver Hall), Courant Institute, NYU
http://www.cims.nyu.edu/~kloeckner/
+1-401-648-0599
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