Currently, all MIST Academy classes are taught by MIST Academy CEO Mathew Crawford. However, MIST Academy plans to recruit more teachers of the highest caliber. All MIST Academy instructors must exemplify enthusiasm for their field, and discipline in the exploration for knowledge.

 

Mathew Crawford

Mathew Crawford is the founder and director of MIST Academy. Though there is no such term, he considers himself an Educational Engineer. This self-chosen career title infers a passion for applied logic and mathematics -- particularly within the field of education.


Teaching

Mr. Crawford refuses to approach teaching with the idea that students are already as smart as they ever will be. Young thinkers need challenges and inspiration. Achievement comes from effort. Mr. Crawford has two goals for every class:

  • To present each student with the right curriculum.
  • Inspire each student to want to work harder to achieve their goals.

Mr. Crawford has coached a long list of successful students including numerous medalists at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and several science Olympiads. Many of my students have been winners of the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), rare perfect scorers on difficult exams such as the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), and winners of top scholarship prizes such as the Siemens-Westinghouse Competition.

The following is a partial list of the venues at which Mr. Crawford has taught:

  • Art of Problem Solving -- 2003 (inception) to 2006. Writing and teaching most of the classes for the online school during that time.
  • Avid Academy in Irvine, California -- 2006 to 2007.
  • San Diego Math Circle -- 2003 to 2007. Volunteer math instructor.
  • In 2008, Mr. Crawford began teaching one day a week at Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama.  Mr. Crawford works with two classes of math team students there.
  • Past coach for both the San Diego and Missouri American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) teams, and currently for the Alabama ARML team.
  • At many Birmingham area schools as a volunteer math team coach. This includes Vestavia Hills High School, where Crawford graduated in 1995. He has since logged hundreds of hours as a volunteer math team coach at VHHS alone. For his efforts MIST Academy has been recognized by the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce's Partners in Education (PIE) program.
  • Thousands of additional hours tutoring and working with talented math students in various capacities since 1989.

Curriculum Design


The right curriculum for a student means first understanding the needs of the student, then determining what progression of material is appropriate for that student, and finally executing the creation of those materials, using available technology and instructional approaches.
  • Mr. Crawford wrote an Introduction to Number Theory, a unique textbook that takes a constructive approach to teaching number theory and problem solving. This book is very popular among mathletes nationwide. Mr. Crawford also co-wrote an Intermediate Algebra released in April, 2008, laying down the foundation for most of the text. This book is a highly unique approach to algebra, focusing on the arts of substitution and manipulation as opposed to learning disjointed facts about many areas of algebra curriculum. Mr. Crawford plans to publish many more texts in the future, helping to build a modern curriculum for students of the age of computers.
  • From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Crawford helped build the Art of Problem Solving online school, where he wrote most of the classes. While transcripts of these classes are not available online, transcripts of free "Math Jams" that he wrote and taught are available here.
  • From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Crawford helped design and implement the Worldwide Online Olympiad Training (WOOT) program for students aspiring to write the International Mathematical Olympiad, the USA Mathematical Olympiad, and other national olympiads.
  • From 2006 to 2007, Mr. Crawford helped build classes and programs at Avid Academy in Orange County, California.
  • Beginning in 2007, Mr. Crawford built some materials for the Alabama ARML team and local MATHCOUNTS programs.

Contest Problem Writing


Mr. Crawford's has extensive experience writing problems to challenge the nation's most gifted students. The following is an incomplete list of the contests and organizations for which Mr. Crawford has written tests and problems:
  • Head Test Writer for the iTest and iTest Tournament of Champions. The 2007 iTest and 2007 iTest Solutions Guide are freely available online and provide a sample of the resources Mr. Crawford plans to use with top high school students in the Birmingham area.
  • Problem writer for the USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS). Here and here are samples of two of the problems Mr. Crawford wrote for the USAMTS.
  • Test writer for the Mu Alpha Theta national competition.
  • Writer of Alabama ARML Team Selection Tests.
  • Writer of the San Diego Math League and San Diego Mathematical Olympiad.
  • Test writer for the Vestavia Hills High School Math Team Tournament.


Career Past

Mr. Crawford believes that having a career past outside of education has prepared him to play a unique role as an educator. Working in research and industry he applied algebra, calculus, game theory, and probability theory to both abstract and real world problems.