His Story
Jamil Siddiqui never planned to be a teacher. He enrolled in the biomedical engineering program at Boston University because people told him that he was good at math, until a work-study job in the math department led a professor to ask him to tutor. He says he might be “the first person ever who went into teaching for the money.” Tutoring changed the direction of his life, and he went on to earn a master’s degree in teaching mathematics and one in pure mathematics at Boston University. He has taught at East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School since 1994.
In his first year he led an AP Calculus class at a school where previous results had not been strong. He told his students that they would be the most successful AP class in the school’s history, and they held after-school sessions and weekend meetings to reach that goal. His AB Calculus classes now earn college credit at a rate of 70 percent, and his BC Calculus classes at 90 percent. His principal says he soon became known as the “Math Man.”
Siddiqui tells students that mathematics is the language we use to communicate ideas, and he opens a lesson on the area under a curve by asking them to find an area using only the items in a pencil box. On the first day of school he tells them that he wants them to be wrong, because failure simply means that they have not yet arrived. The walls of his classroom are an AP Calculus Hall of Fame with a photo of every AP class and the names of students who scored a five. Each December 7, Larry Bird’s birthday, the class sets math aside to discuss perseverance and hard work.
Beyond the Classroom
Siddiqui was the 2019 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, received the 2019 National Education Association Foundation Award, and was a 2017 recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He was also named the Raytheon Math Moves U Teacher of the Year in 2008. He serves as a College Board consultant for AP Calculus and has spoken at the College Board’s annual AP conference, at National Council of Teachers of Mathematics regional conferences and at the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in Massachusetts.
At school he serves as student activities coordinator, runs a blood drive that is one of the most successful in Massachusetts, and has advised five classes, the math team, student government and the yearbook. He teaches courses for student teachers at Bridgewater State University and Boston University. A colleague and a former student each note that more than a dozen of his former students have become math teachers. A community scholarship group chose him as its Legends and Legacies honoree.
Philosophy Into Practice
Siddiqui uses the College Board’s instructional planning reports and mock AP exams in February, March and April. After each one he meets with students individually, shows them how many points they are from the cutoff and builds a plan to close the gap. He says this fits the growth mindset he wants in his room, and that teachers also need feedback that comes from support rather than criticism.
He believes teachers need to be respected and supported as professionals, and he says that joining a subject-specific professional learning community changed his career after fifteen years of teaching without one. He is also a fellow of InSPIRED, a Massachusetts group working to attract and retain more culturally responsive educators, and he argues that learning who your students are is just plain good teaching.
“Failure simply means we have not yet arrived.”Jamil Siddiqui
In His Own Words
“The attempt to find the answer is the most important part of the lesson.”Jamil Siddiqui
“Mathematics is simply the language we use to communicate our ideas.”Jamil Siddiqui
“Hard work and desire is more important than natural ability and we can all succeed if we are willing to give our best effort.”Jamil Siddiqui
What Others Said
“It is clear to see that Jamil’s students will be his true legacy.”Richard Knoeppel, nominator, colleague and 2019 State Teacher of the Year
“Jamil is the best teacher I have ever known.”George Kelly, retired principal
“Jamil is the most dedicated, knowledgeable, effective, and enthusiastic math teacher I have encountered during my career.”Denise A. Cronin, former colleague
“Jamil’s mastery of content is unsurpassed.”Suzanne Ferrell-Locke, associate professor of mathematics, Tallahassee Community College, former student
“Jamil is one of a kind, a truly exceptional person and talented educator.”Dr. Catherine D. McCusker, assistant professor of biology, UMass Boston, former student