Leading with Numbers as Director & Math Coordinator at the Village Academic Team
When I took on the role of Director & Math Coordinator for the Village Academic Team (VAT) at The Village School, I saw an opportunity not just to teach math, but to transform the way students approached the subject. For many, math was a daunting challenge, something to endure rather than enjoy. My goal? To make mathematics engaging, accessible, and a gateway to competitive success.
Building a Stronger Foundation: Teaching & Mentorship
One of my primary responsibilities was teaching and mentoring over 50 high school students across different math levels. Rather than relying on traditional methods, I incorporated:
📊 Real-world applications – Relating abstract concepts to business models, architecture, and even physics-based game mechanics.
🎯 Interactive problem-solving – Encouraging students to work in teams, debate solutions, and present their approaches rather than just memorizing formulas.
🧩 Game-based learning – Using logic puzzles, coding-based math challenges, and strategic problem sets to make learning engaging.
I witnessed students gain confidence, improve their grades, and, most importantly, develop a genuine appreciation for mathematics.
Encouraging Competitive Excellence
Beyond academics, I focused on preparing students for math competitions, transforming VAT into a team that didn't just learn math but competed at the highest level.
🏆Curated & Led Weekly Training Sessions – Designed advanced problem sets covering topics from number theory to combinatorics, tailored for competitions like AMC, AIME, and local math Olympiads.
📚 One-on-One Strategy Sessions – Identified students’ strengths & weaknesses, coaching them individually to refine their problem-solving speed and accuracy.
🔥 Fostering a Competitive Spirit – Organized internal math duels, where students competed in fast-paced problem-solving rounds, sharpening their skills under pressure.
The result? Significant improvements in competition performance, with multiple students advancing to higher-level contests and improving their national rankings.
Reflections on Leadership & Impact
Leading the Village Academic Team was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my academic career. It wasn’t just about equations and theorems, it was about mentorship, leadership, and instilling a love for problem-solving.
Seeing students go from struggling with math to confidently competing in competitions reinforced my belief that education is not about intelligence, it's about approach, perseverance, and the right guidance.
Through VAT, I didn’t just teach math, I built a culture of intellectual curiosity and academic excellence, a legacy that would continue shaping students long after I was gone.
