For Carlmont math teacher Madhukar Sodlapur, mathematics is not just an area of expertise; it is an area of passion.
Sodlapur, known as Mr. Madhu among his students, teaches a variety of math classes and is currently teaching Geometry Enriched and Precalculus Honors. He has also previously taught Algebra 1.
According to Sodlapur, what first inspired him to start teaching was his experience with his previous high school teachers.
“They were interactive and made me want to pursue math itself,” Sodlapur said. “They made this subject something that was inherently beautiful, and they made me want to go outside of class and think about this subject even more when I could.”
Sodlapur’s love for mathematics formed in his childhood, when he and his friends played online math games and tried to solve problems they didn’t understand.
“We started looking for patterns in the numbers that were in the games, and that was what drove my passion for math. It was seeing how math is all about perspective, all about patterns and extenuating those further up,” Sodlapur said.
Sodlapur’s enjoyment of teaching has also led to the creation of a welcoming environment in his classes.
“I like that on Mondays, he does questions about himself and his experience with math and just random stuff, because I feel like at the beginning of the year, that has set a more friendly vibe,” said Joy Wallis, a Carlmont sophomore and Precalculus Honors student.
Sodlapur often engages a lot with his students, something that Carlmont junior and former Algebra 1 student Maximilian Wallow liked about his class.
“Sometimes, math teachers can just teach the content and then go back to their desks. Mr. Madhu really tried to help us understand it,” Wallow said.
For freshman Sana Tanaka, a student in Sodlapur’s Geometry Enriched class, his patience with students is what stands out most.
“He really listens to you when you have a question, and I’m really persistent with asking questions,” Tanaka said. “He always answers it very carefully.”
Tanaka agrees that Sodlapur is good at explaining the content well.
“He explains it pretty nicely, and he seems really into it,” Tanaka said.
Sodlapur further engages students through multiple teaching methods, including the incorporation of pop culture and other topics of student interest into his lessons, as well as assigning projects whenever possible.
“There are a bunch of different ways, but one of them that is at the forefront is making a curriculum that’s interesting to students,” Sodlapur said.
