Mike showed talent for programming early, teaching himself machine language in the fifth grade when there weren’t many home computers available (in 1979). He went on to win 10th place in the Science Talent Search, a national competition for high school students, and qualified for the competition math exam known as the AIME. He then got a degree in computer science from Caltech and worked for JPL/NASA for 16 years.
But coding is not his only interest. He’s passionate about what makes a good teacher. Through music lessons in college, he discovered outside-the-box teaching methods. In his 30’s, he found the same ideas reinforced by mindfulness meditation teachers.
These ideas include helping the student to become a good teacher to themselves and awakening their interest in learning. They also include encouraging the student to bring curiosity to their studies. Mike is a believer in the power of a “growth mindset,” in which the student sees mistakes and confusion not as a sign they are a bad student but as opportunities to understand the material more deeply.