We investigate teaching practices at university mathematics departments in the context of lectures. We are interested in how students' learning needs are addressed in teaching. In this paper we focus on a lecturer's calculus teaching to a large cohort of students (about 200) which we analyse using grounded techniques and the Teaching Triad construct (Jaworski, 1994). The analysis suggests that this lecturer's teaching practice is characterized by the way he tries to help the vast majority of students to start their university studies smoothly. He supports their mathematical learning and introduces them to advanced mathematical thinking and methodology. The Teaching Triad brings to our insight that the dominant element in his teaching is sensitivity to students in cognitive, affective and social domain.