Contact: Ann Stewart
Hood College
stewart@hood.edu
Description: Math Tea is a weekly social gathering of students and faculty hosted by the math department. We meet on Thursday afternoons and have cookies and drinks. There’s always some kind of math-related activity planned; see the examples below. We try to offer a variety of activities over the course of each semester to attract students at different levels.
Tips for success:
- Choose a time when many of your students and faculty can attend. We try to avoid scheduling any math major classes during 3:30 – 4:30 on Thursdays, for example, so we can hold Math Tea then.
- Choose a comfortable, spacious location with tables and lots of seating. You may also want a blackboard or a computer. We use a lounge area outside of the faculty offices, and move to a classroom if we need to show a movie or have a formal presentation.
- Choose one faculty member to be the Tea Czar. At our school, this person is responsible for choosing the weekly activity, advertising the events, and ensuring that we have enough refreshments. The faculty members in our department take turns bringing food and drink, and we all make suggestions for activities. We also publicize events in our classes, and remind students that they do not have to be math majors to attend and have fun.
Sample Math Teas and Resources:
Games and Puzzles
Problem Solving
Exploring mathematical topics
Holiday Math Teas