Reflection 2
There are definitely a lot of negative opinions of mathematics. It can be a subject out of the comfort zone of many, but that is not necessarily always true. Math skills require constant learning and evolving. It is a practical way of acquiring skills. You learn by practice and that too a repetitive practice.
In elementary school I was not
very comfortable with math, but I think that was mainly because of the way I
was taught it. I simply never knew what I was doing and it was very rushed
through. Good math teachers instill motivation in their students. Once
motivation is in and replaces the stress of ‘I cannot do’, math will become
like second nature. Stressing about math problems can be the number one
obstacle to learning. A simple phrase ‘I cannot do’ can block the brain from
wanting to learn. Hence, motivated students with a positive attitude can become
great math students. They need to feel like they belong in the world of
mathematics where they can use many different ways to come up with an answer. They
need to know that mistakes are part of the learning process. A wrong answer
with a full solution that shows the thinking process is a lot better than a
simple correct answer. So it is all about taking chances.
The last session in my math
teaching class I learned a whole new perspective. I learned that there is not
one way to solve a problem. There are many practical ways. Some are great
visual ways to learn. For example, the web we created with yarn was
amazing. The handshake model with our
classmates acting it and the blocks that we got use made a lot more sense.
Math is not always about tell for
the teacher and do for the students. It has depth, clarity, and meaning behind
it. There is a reason why we learn math and it is important that students understand
that too. Definitely it is a gradual learning process but nevertheless a doable
one. You can’t wake up one day and say ‘I love math.’ Teachers play a huge role
in developing interests in students. Every learner needs to feel like they can
do math and it is fun. Teachers can make that happen.
The math curriculum also says
something along the lines of what I have mentioned above. Math can be taught in
different styles. It can be engaging and interactive. Teachers can guide
through the problem solving methods and can investigate idea with the students,
much like what our prof in my class has done. While we were working on a math
problem, he walked around to sometimes point out our mistakes, give a hint,
encourage, or pitch in a prompt or two.
I am still in my 3rd
week as a teacher candidate in Brock, I have two full years to go. If I feel
like I have learned a lot in these 3 weeks, then I can definitely count on
learning much more until I graduate. I am looking forward to find myself as a
teacher.
