Sandra Hoschek

Mathematics, History and Social Science

“An investment in knowledge brings the best interest rates.” Benjamin Franklin

My name is Sandra Hoschek and I have been teaching at Phönix since April 2019. I am interested in the difference between my two subjects above all. While in mathematics, one speaks of the “right” solutions which can be worked out by a process of logical deduction and an understanding of formulae and numbers. History, on the other hand, allows room for discussion and interpretation; there is not only one truth and, thus, it is necessary to carefully consider sources and question them in a critical manner before forming an opinion. I want to encourage my students to be enthusiastic about mathematics and history, and to show them that mathematics has been labelled unjustly as a subject to be feared and that history is certainly not boring or dusty. In mathematics, students are confronted with problems that appear unsolvable at first. However, with the right skills, they will realize that they can achieve even the impossible. In history they learn that every coin has two sides to it and that they should form an opinion, as in life itself, after they check the facts and sources in a critical manner.