Math Professor Soha Abdeljaber is universally loved by her students. Recently she was named one of the top 50 professors on RateMyProfessors.com -- a website where students from across the country comment on their teachers. That her students consider her an inspiring teacher is a masterpiece of understatement. Here, for instance, are just a few of their comments from that website:

• “She’s blessed.”
• “THE BEST Math teacher I've ever had...very sweet, wonderful woman...very helpful.”
• “She teaches as good as she looks. N’uff said.” 

RateMyProfessors.com is far from an authoritative source on a professor’s teaching ability. But Abdeljaber’s student evaluation forms are equally impressive.  In response to the question, “Would you recommend this instructor to your friends?” her students wrote:

• “Hell, yeah. She’s a great teacher.”
• “I already have.”
• “Of course, why would you ask?”

When asked “What aspects of the class would you want to see improved?” student responses ranged from “none” to “nothing” to “not one single thing; she’s perfect.”

And it’s not just her students who've recognized her teaching prowess. In the fall, the university gave her an Excellence in Teaching Award – an honor given annually to professors whose teaching the university finds outstanding. In this interview, Abdeljeber, who teaches pre-calculus and calculus, talks about her love of math and teaching.

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How do you feel about being ranked so highly on RateMyProfessor.com, a site that evaluates a million professors both here and abroad?  
Being chosen as one of the top 50 professors came as a great honor to me.  I was also told that I’m the only professor from New Jersey to be on the top-50 list.  I truly appreciate my students' comments on RateMyProfessor.  I felt as proud and happy when I read their comments as I did when I received the Excellence in Teaching Award from NJIT.

How do you teach math so effectively?
I present the lessons in a clear and structured way, while constantly asking questions and encouraging class participation. When working out problems on the board, I ask them what to do next. I involve them in every step of the equation. Then, after the lecture, I give them in-class problems. I work one on one with each student. So if they didn’t get it during lecture, they’ll get it while working out the problem. I’m friendly with them, so that they feel at ease asking me questions. But I make them work hard, in and out of class. I give them a lot of homework, quizzes and tests. This way, they are continuously practicing math. That’s how they improve.

What qualities should a good math teacher have?
A good math teacher needs to encourage active participation from the students and constantly motivate them.  A teacher’s own enthusiasm and energy has much to do with getting students motivated.  Educators need to have a lot of patience, a caring attitude and a passion for teaching.  For math teachers, it’s more challenging because every student is working at a different level.  Therefore, it’s essential for math instructors to give every student the help he or she needs.

What do you like best about teaching?
It is very rewarding for me to know that I am able to help students broaden their vision of math.  Teaching gives me the ability to make a difference in the lives of many students by equipping them with necessary skills they will need for all areas of life.  It’s also an on-going learning experience, which I greatly enjoy.

NJIT students are a diverse lot. How do you teach students from such diverse backgrounds?
By respecting and understanding every student. Once those two concepts are established, diversity in a classroom becomes something powerful that everyone can learn from. One of the best aspects of NJIT is the diversity of students. Each student is unique in personality, race and education. Their different backgrounds and experiences allow them to bring various perspectives to class, which makes the learning environment more dynamic and more multicultural. I teach students from all over the world. It’s a great experience.

You’re a devout Muslim. Does that influence your teaching?
My religion teaches me to be fully dedicated and committed in doing my job.  Muslims are required to perform their best in everything they do.  Teaching is viewed as an immense and wonderful action from an Islamic perspective because teachers can affect many people’s lives in positive ways and help them gain knowledge that will benefit society as a whole. 

What is it about math that you love?
Math is exciting and practical.  It definitely improves one’s logic, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Math is everywhere. We need it in every component of our life. We use it every day from making purchasing decisions to counting down the minute that class is over. It is a wide and infinite field of study. 

When and how did you first learn to love math?
Mathematics was my favorite subject since elementary school.  It always made sense to me, and I always enjoyed solving math problems.  I went to school in North Bergen, where they took students who were exceptional in math out of the elementary schools and bused us to the high school, where instead of studying elementary math we were taught algebra. Then, after class, we were bused back to our elementary schools.  It was highly educational and a lot of fun.  I also had the pleasure of having excellent math teachers who were very passionate about the subject. 

Math is now a big part of the sciences. So in teaching math are you helping students eventually succeed as biologists and physicists and chemists?
Absolutely, mathematics underlies every aspect of science. Most importantly, math relates to things we do in the real world every day.  It improves thinking that helps students in any field of study.  I hope that all students take their knowledge from my class and apply it to their life and course of study.

Your students give you the best evaluations and call you the “best teacher ever.” Is that gratifying to you?
I always appreciate their comments.  But my real gratification is seeing them succeed and reach their goals in life.

(By Robert Florida, University Web Services)