The original of the following letter of recommendation is with Dr. Kroiss. We have decided not to publish the name or the address of the student.

I am writing this letter of recommendation for Dr. Gerhard Kroiss. In addition to being a learned man in many disciplines, Dr. Kroiss is a wonderful teacher. I had the pleasure of having Dr. Kroiss as a mathematics tutor this summer at his institute. I feel very fortunate to have had an instructor who understands so well both the material and the psychological processes that lead to learning math. Dr. Kroiss has worked extensively with students who have math anxiety, and understands (as some educators may not) that even students who are gifted in many other areas can have debilitating problems with mathematics. A type of strategy for teaching must be used with these students, and Dr. Kroiss has devised a system to break through these mental barriers to learning that may have existed from high school and earlier.                                                                                                     

I was one of his students who had a true mental block when it came to learning mathematics. It would seem unusual that a high-achieving student like me would have these problems. I had a 4.0 grade point average at Fayetteville State for two years, and am graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a 3.95 average. My last obstacle to graduating with a high GPA was the math course that was required for my degree.

The first time that I called Dr. Kroiss, I felt apprehensive. My math anxiety had always been a secret to many who had seen my work in other classes. Dr. Kroiss assured me that many of his students had one major weakness in math while excelling in other academic areas. His understanding of these special problems is unlike any other instructor that I have encountered. Dr. Kroiss does not just present generic shortcuts to his students as a rule; he works with the individual strengths of his students to illustrate simpler ways of working accurately. In my case, Dr. Kroiss saw my strengths in logic and my ability to see subtle distinctions in sentence structure. Dr. Kroiss assured me that I did not have an inability to use the logic of mathematics, but that I had missed the training.

I finished summer school with an A in my math course. I had not even anticipated an A minus until I met Dr. Kroiss. I am very grateful to Dr. Kroiss. He helped me get the grade, but more importantly he showed me a new skill. I feel that my thinking has gained a new dimension. For Dr. Kroiss teaching is a craft that is constantly developed in response to one's surroundings. This a very special quality today, when many students feel invisible in the classroom.