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Effects of getting good grades
Few points in method of teaching mathematics
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The first thing you should know about is that my #1 strength on StrengthsQuest is Achiever. That being said, grades are important to me. I strive for excellence and am visibly upset when it isn’t achieved. Math is the subject that has made me redefine the term “excellence”. Over the years I’ve learned to be proud of myself when it comes to math because it is a hard subject and a B is still excellent. That hasn’t always been the case though. I remember staying after classes in Elementary school to get help from a teacher because I couldn’t get the material. I remember the countless days in my teacher’s classroom going over math trying to wrap my head around something others perceived to be so simple yet so complex in my mind. At a young age, my mindset was “I hate math and math hates me so why do I even try”. I also preferred to be only taught math when it was hands on. I hated when my teacher would tell me to read a chapter from my math book and learn the information through reading instead of doing the work on the board. In middle school, it only got worse. In sixth grade, I was dropped from the honors course to the regular pre-algebra mid semester and that took a drastic toll on my confidence. I knew I was struggling but I didn’t think I was that horrible. The whole situation was out of the blue. I got called out of class one day and was told I was no longer in Honors math. Upon joining the regular class, I was getting A’s and felt under challenged which confused me even more. I spent the next two years of middle school in the regular math courses, fighting my advising officer to try to get back in Honors because I knew I could do it. High school I was more determined to prove myself. I started freshman year in the honors cou... ... middle of paper ... ... real world today. Not to mention, it’s essential for students to be able to discuss, redefine, and critique theirs and others understanding of mathematics and ideas. The past experiences also frame my thinking by letting me know why what I should do when it comes to my classroom when I start my teaching career. I know to validate student’s feelings when it comes to math, I know to help the students struggling (equity not equality), and to help whenever I can. It’s important to show the students you care about math, even if you don’t because the way your students see you interact and talk about math affects their thinking. I’ve realized I’m a hands on learner so my ideal classroom will have math posters as well as other specific subject posters. Math was more effective for me if I was able to use my hands and actually see the work done in front of me and work it out.
I remember how mathematics was incredibly difficult for me and because of this I can relate to the struggles students have with math. For a teacher to be successful they need to create relevance for the students. I understand how to relate the various topics of mathematics to topics of the world, which for most students is difficult to do, For example, I remember at the CREC School I was observing at, there was a student of Bosnian decent who was having trouble understanding how to read a map of the United States. So I showed her a map of Bosnia with the same map key, and we discerned what everything meant (where the capital was, where the ocean was, major port cities were, etc…). She caught on quickly as she already had an understanding of Bosnia and it quickly transferred over to the map of the thirteen colonies. This skill is easily transferrable to mathematics by using relevant, real-world examples of concepts learned by
While children can remember, for short periods of time, information taught through books and lectures, deep understanding and the ability to apply learning to new situations requires conceptual understanding that is grounded in direct experience with concrete objects. The teacher has a critical role in helping students connect their manipulative experiences, through a selection of representations, to essential abstract mathematics. Together, outstanding teachers and regular experiences with hands-on learning can bestow students with powerful learning in
My first few years of school I struggled with math the most. I remember losing games in class because I knew the answer but couldn’t get my thought out my mouth in in time. Me not being able to focus on one thing at a time also interferes with things like my speech and motor
When I first began tutoring I was stunned to find that most of the kids I worked with, although very bright, not only lacked the ability to solve complex problems, they were very uncomfortable with some of the basic principles of math. This discomfort led to fear and avoidance, and the avoidance led to more discomfort. A vicious cycle began. Instead of seeing math as a beautiful system in which arithmetic, algebra and geometry all worked together to allow one to solve problems, they saw it as a bunch of jumbled rules which made little sense that they were forced to memorize.
Once I started getting better in math I started getting better in other subjects. I think my hard work was shown because when I went to River Bend I was placed in classes with people I considered smart. The classes were a bit challenging but I did well. The second year I was at River Bend I moved up even farther in my academics and then I was the “smart” person. People would come to me if they had questions, and I liked being the one to help them.
It was my eighth grade year and math teacher wasn’t that superior. And I’m not that bad at math but I couldn’t understand it at all. The teacher taught in a way that was so confusing to me and nearly to impossible to understand. I even got a toutor to help me, but because I was so confused about it. It was so unclear to me that it was like trying to look threw a stained glass window. It was so aggravating to not get something that had come so natural before. Every time the teacher talked about math it sounded
During my elementary school years, my teacher Mrs. Maylen was always repetitive giving the same type of homework every day. Also, another one of my teachers, Mrs.Kopmeyer would always help me when I was falling behind in class to help make sure I caught up. When I transitioned into middle school, a lot of subjects were difficult for me to progress through such as English and science. However, math was always easy for me to understand since I was good with numbers.
For the past seven years, I have had the same dream - to someday be a high school math teacher. I am finally on my way to turning that dream into a reality. Along the way, I am learning a lot of things and forming a number of opinions. One of the main areas in which I am forming new beliefs is in relation to what methods I will use in teaching my class and what aspects of what philosophies I will employ. First of all, however, I must reach the point where I have a class to teach.
My enthusiasm and the strongly committed teachers I have encountered in my life have attributed to my success in math and science. Prior to going onto ninth grade, my Math classes dating back from middle school were never mentally straining. Math appealed to me because in eighth grade, my math teacher, Dr. Christopher, would encourage her class by recognizing our achievements with small rewards such as candies and ice cream passes during lunch. Her actions sparked my interest in math. I have a natural regard for math and science. By breaking down math problems step by step, I can better understand them. ...
...it comes to providing students with the best education possible to make them successful. Even though mathematics is a hard concept for students of all ages to understand, future educators need to prevent or eliminate the negative thoughts and feelings children have for mathematics. Mathematics is not impossible; it takes time, practice, and patience to be successful in the classroom.
As a secondary subject, society often views mathematics a critical subject for students to learn in order to be successful. Often times, mathematics serves as a gatekeeper for higher learning and certain specific careers. Since the times of Plato, “mathematics was virtually the first thing everyone has to learn…common to all arts, science, and forms of thought” (Stinson, 2004). Plato argued that all students should learn arithmetic; the advanced mathematics was reserved for those that would serve as the “philosopher guardians” of the city (Stinson, 2004). By the 1900s in the United States, mathematics found itself as a cornerstone of curriculum for students. National reports throughout the 20th Century solidified the importance of mathematics in the success of our nation and its students (Stinson, 2004). As a mathematics teacher, my role to educate all students in mathematics is an important one. My personal philosophy of mathematics education – including the optimal learning environment and best practices teaching strategies – motivates my teaching strategies in my personal classroom.
One very important factor in every life is the education received as we mature. Education in all subjects is necessary to become a well-rounded individual. Even so, I feel that my subject area has more significance in one’s future because every person uses mathematics every day. Students need to understand why mathematics is important and why they will need it in the future. The way to do that is integrated into the views of the role of the teacher. Teachers need to be encouraging role models that provide students with safety, nurturing, and support in the classroom, along with providing excellent instruction by allowing students to explore and expand their minds in the content of mathematics. Teachers should set high expectations for all students and persuade the students to live up to those expectations. Along the same lines, teaching and learning are complementary concepts. Students need for the teacher to provide them with the knowledge that will be used not only in that class but also in their future endeavors. ...
Math is probably one of the only subjects that I have really struggled my whole life or more accurately, all my years being in school. Math has been such trouble and really challenging because I cannot really remember mathematical formulas and problem solving methods. It is actually a real struggle when taking a math test or exam, especially a final exam. Trying to remember all those methods and formulas, it makes it hard to think and focus on finishing up all the problems on time. Even though I am often am
Some children find that mathematics is too abstract and does not connect to their daily life. They may find mathematics boring and irrelevant. Children who are forced to learn mathematics through rote memorization might find that they do not understand mathematical concepts and are unable to solve problems at a higher level as their foundation and grasp of basic math concepts are weak. Children who are forced to sit still and learn math by doing many worksheets may develop math anxiety and an aversion to numbers.
Coming into the teaching profession not knowing a lot, I was able to use previous experience from previous teachers to understand how important it is to understand whether or not students really understand the subject being taught. Having a passion to teacher also improves how much work teachers have to put into to make sure students understand. Growing up, I had the opportunity to experience what it was like to have a teacher was passionate about mathematics. This particular opportunity showed me how much effect he was able to put on his students performance, but most importantly how much effort he had to put into things to see a change in his students work.