31/03/2016
Reflecting back onto your own Mathematical journey, especially as a prospective Math teacher, is vital. I never used to do that well in Math. I also did not always love it as I do now. Every happy ending has an extraordinary story, though, and this is mine.
The following video and article shifted my perception of teaching Mathematics completely. It changes the whole idea most people have about the subject too. Keep your mind as open as it can be, and enjoy.
Read these three questions, think about them, answer them yourself!
Reflect on your experience with learning mathematics at school. Did you do well? Struggle? How did it make you think of yourself? What was your mindset? What was the teacher’s role in all this?
"Looking back at my time spent in Foundation phase in Mathematics, I remember doing sums upon sums. Practicing a recipe the teacher had shown us on the board, in class, and practicing more of it at home as well. When we got back to school the next day, we marked the 20 or so sums we had for homework, got a mark and an award sticker, and went on to the next topic, learning the next recipe. The teacher’s method was law. You were smart when you got most of them right. You were smart if you followed the teacher’s recipe step-by-step. We were also praised and complimented for doing it this way. No other way. In the end my term or year mark would always range between 60 and 80%, depending on how hard I studied these recipes copied down from the board into my book. I felt good about my good marks, and embarrassed when they weren’t good enough. I told myself that I didn’t study the teacher’s methods hard enough. My mindset was centred around content and set methods. The teacher was seen as the source of the content, the source of answers. When we had a problem to solve, we looked to the teacher, not to ourselves or our peers.
The only part from this phase I value of my school career, was in fourth grade, and was the small table tests we wrote every day to help us memorise our tables. Literally 10 sums, it took us 5 minutes. I could answer them in my sleep by the end of my fourth grade. The basics are important to memorise as soon as possible, in order to move on to more complex Mathematics.
Once I began attending high school, I entered the ‘prime’ of my Maths career. By this point, I was a master at learning and practicing methods and recipes the teacher gave us. While learning these methods, however, I started to discover things within these topics without any direct guidance, completely surprising myself. So my love for Mathematics was born. Grade 9 through 12 was my favourite years in Mathematics. I loved discovering new things, recognising patterns, and solving a problem. Even if it took long, it was an incredible feeling. This might have been thanks to better teaching, since a teacher would explain concepts within context of relating topics. I loved how it all made sense. I remembered the work so well too."
"I started putting myself into the positions of my old Mathematics teachers. How would I teach this concept in such a way that learners who are like I use to be, would understand it at an earlier stage? Or even better, discover it themselves? Finding new ways to teach these concepts have been the best challenge for me. It comes more naturally than memorizing a specific recipe from the textbook or a teacher’s handbook. We teachers need to start thinking from the learners’ perspectives. What do they know? What do they not know? What are their environments like? How do they think? What are their mindsets? I want the learners to start thinking critically on their own. I want them to consider many different perspectives and methods, and not to give up on their own understanding. I want them to make mistakes. That is how we are supposed to learn. I want them always to keep an open mind, because that is the easiest way to learn and except new ways of thinking."
"I agree with how the woman advises we should praise learners. Praise is being handed out in school left and right, without those teachers praising thinking about the implications. Teaching is a very delicate job. We, as teachers, are seen as role
models by the learners. What we say and do is very important to them, they’ll go tell their parents all about what their teacher says in class. If I, as a teacher, compliment a learners on how smart he/she is, he would be much more likely to put down his pencil, sit back in his chair, and claim; “I’m smart, therefore I do not need to work hard or think too much.” Or something in that line. We must pay close attention to what we communicate to learners regarding their performance. There is always space for more development, regardless of the learner’s IQ or ability to work hard. The classroom shouldn’t center around intelligence or hard work, but rather around growth, critical thinking and problem solving. Discussing ideas and concepts with peers are also essential. This way one learns and understands that multiple perspectives, contacts and links exist."
models by the learners. What we say and do is very important to them, they’ll go tell their parents all about what their teacher says in class. If I, as a teacher, compliment a learners on how smart he/she is, he would be much more likely to put down his pencil, sit back in his chair, and claim; “I’m smart, therefore I do not need to work hard or think too much.” Or something in that line. We must pay close attention to what we communicate to learners regarding their performance. There is always space for more development, regardless of the learner’s IQ or ability to work hard. The classroom shouldn’t center around intelligence or hard work, but rather around growth, critical thinking and problem solving. Discussing ideas and concepts with peers are also essential. This way one learns and understands that multiple perspectives, contacts and links exist."
I hope this brought some new perspectives to your mind! It sure did for me.
Emma xx
