He is as intimidating as the class he teaches. His old man exterior leads me to be believe that he is a cranky, angry person. It still amazes me that it is his class that I look forward to everyday.
AP Calculus is challenging even for the smartest mathletes. Mr. Urban teaches the three AP Calculus classes at Arrowhead High School and he runs a tight ship. He admits he makes his class harder than what we would need to pass the AP test at the end of the year. He does this because he wants all his students to pass the AP test with a galore of fives (the highest score of the AP test).
You’re probably still waiting for the part where I say that Urban is the nicest, most supportive teacher I’ve ever had. But I don’t think you could pay me enough to say those words out loud.
Although, to me, it is the lack of these qualities that makes him an amazing teacher. He is hard on all his students because he knows what we are capable of. He never lets up because he knows we are smarter than we think. He sees potential in every single one of his students.
In class, he stimulates each student to keep up with the smartest kids. He doesn’t force us to participate like most teachers, but he gives incentives that engages the whole class. If you answer a hard question correctly, he will give you an approving head nod. If you correct one of his math mistakes, you get the pride of making Urban look foolish. If you get 100% on a test, you get an infamous Badger sticker on your calculator cover that you proudly show your friends.
Not only does he do all those things, but he also uses his twisted humor on our Friday quizzes. He creates themes that make us do something amusing so that we can have partner quizzes. For example, one of our quizzes was themed Fort Friday. For Fort Friday, we had to bring blankets and sheets in to make a fort that the whole class can fit under. How many teachers do you know that would let their students do that? He uses this fun and energizing atmosphere to make learning more enjoyable and less of a chore.
Mr. Urban cares about every one of his students even though he has a strange way of showing it. And somehow through his interactive lectures on derivatives and from fun-filled partner quizzes, he pushes me to be a better student and overall a more well-rounded person. His teaching techniques are one-of-a-kind, but effective. That man knows more than antiderivatives and integrals. He knows how to educate and motivate his students. No need to teach that old man new tricks.