Math can unlock new views, critical thinking and better decisions, says Werklund grad

June 8, 2016 - Mahboobeh Noghrehkhaja has always loved math — one of her fondest childhood memories is of sitting with her father in the evenings solving math problems.

In Grade 6, her exceptional talents won her a place at a girls’ school for gifted students in her home country of Iran. After completing her bachelor's and master’s degrees in math, Noghrehkhaja got a university teaching position. She was just 24.

“I was teaching a total of 400 students, many much older than myself,” says Noghrehkhaja. “It was my first teaching experience.”

Leaving life in Iran for more freedom

She says in those days, life in Iran was good. Women were traditionally well-educated and held responsible positions in society. In 1979, Iran became an Islamic republic, but even when the ruling party made the hijab (head covering) mandatory, little else changed in the area of women’s rights, she says.

The country, however, was not immune to the region’s political upheavals. By 2009, both Noghrehkhaja and her husband could see life becoming more restrictive.

“We had good jobs and good salaries, but I wasn’t satisfied,” says Noghrehkhaja. “So, we made the decision to immigrate to a democratic country with more freedom, especially for women.”

They came to Canada, first to Ontario and then her husband took a job in Calgary’s energy industry.

'Math helps you see the world differently'

By this time, Noghrehkhaja had a second master’s degree in math from Western University and her first child. She also knew she wanted to teach high school rather than do research.

“I wanted to share the beauty of math with teenagers,” she says. With her husband urging her to follow her dreams, she enrolled in the two-year Bachelor of Education program at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education.

“Math helps you to see the world differently,” Noghrehkhaja explains. “Math can show young people how to think critically and analyze things for themselves. It can show them how to make better decisions, to be accountable for their lives, and to make the world a better place.”

She says the BEd program was her hardest degree. For the first time, she had to write papers in English and engage in discourse in group projects. There were also four intense high school practicums.

“Because I didn’t grow up here, everything was new to me: the classroom, the culture, everything," she says. "I learned a lot."

Next step is teaching high school math

In today’s multicultural schools, understanding diversity is key to students’ success. Mairi McDermott, Noghrehkhaja’s instructor and a post-doctoral scholar, says Noghrehkhaja really took the diversity course that McDermott teaches on board. So much so, that McDermott asked her to present at the annual Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) conference, which was part of the Congress 2016 activities that took place at the University of Calgary last month.

Cynthia Prasow, director of student experience, was also impressed with Noghrehkhaja. “She has faced many challenges in getting to where she wanted to be, but you could sense she was passionate about wanting to be a teacher,” Prasow says. “I see many students but Mahboobeh stuck in my mind.”

As for Noghrehkhaja, she’s looking forward to her first position teaching high school math. And it’s her students who will benefit. As McDermott explains, “Mahboobeh is the kind of teacher who makes a difference in students’ lives.”