My Math Teaching Philosophy
It is my belief that all students are capable of doing math. As a math teacher, I want to instill in each of my students the belief that all students are capable of doing math. I have high expectations in each of my student’s abilities. I feel that incorporating an atmosphere where students will feel challenged will help them to fulfill these expectations.
Each student will have particular strengths and as a teacher, I feel that finding a student’s strength is the key in helping them achieve success as a math student. I like to observe my students interacting with the mathematics that they are doing to see how they use the methods I have provided for them. Some students need manipulatives to help them understand a concept. Other students might benefit from technologies that help explain the math they are learning. Occasionally, I will see a student who has come to a correct answer using their own method. This is a great chance to have the student teach me as well as their peers.
A teacher should help the student build on each of their successes. Creating a differentiated instructional plan in the math classroom will aid in the creation of this success building. This helps student who learns differently use more than one method to develop an answer. As students become more comfortable with one concept, they will naturally begin to challenge themselves. Here is where you can have students look even deeper into a concept. They can research a particular topic they might enjoy, and use the mathematics within it to “teach” their peers. There is no better method of learning then in trying to teach it to someone else.
Finding ways to show students how the math they are learning will help them outside of the classroom is also important. Teachers always hear, “Why do we have to learn this?” Using real-life, relevant examples in teaching many concepts will help students understand this question on their own. This kind of teaching also makes the lessons more interesting and aides in keeping a student motivated will help them stay on track and push through a difficult task.
As a teacher of mathematics, I am always looking for ways to teach a concept differently. Professional development opportunities are just one way to do this. I feel that another way to do this might be in the students. Our students can teach us just as much as we teach them. They can often think of new and creative ways to help explain a problem, or build on an explanation already provided for them. Continuing to develop my approach will keep even the most common tasks fresh. Each day is a new experience. Every student has the potential to give us that teachable moment.
Each student will have particular strengths and as a teacher, I feel that finding a student’s strength is the key in helping them achieve success as a math student. I like to observe my students interacting with the mathematics that they are doing to see how they use the methods I have provided for them. Some students need manipulatives to help them understand a concept. Other students might benefit from technologies that help explain the math they are learning. Occasionally, I will see a student who has come to a correct answer using their own method. This is a great chance to have the student teach me as well as their peers.
A teacher should help the student build on each of their successes. Creating a differentiated instructional plan in the math classroom will aid in the creation of this success building. This helps student who learns differently use more than one method to develop an answer. As students become more comfortable with one concept, they will naturally begin to challenge themselves. Here is where you can have students look even deeper into a concept. They can research a particular topic they might enjoy, and use the mathematics within it to “teach” their peers. There is no better method of learning then in trying to teach it to someone else.
Finding ways to show students how the math they are learning will help them outside of the classroom is also important. Teachers always hear, “Why do we have to learn this?” Using real-life, relevant examples in teaching many concepts will help students understand this question on their own. This kind of teaching also makes the lessons more interesting and aides in keeping a student motivated will help them stay on track and push through a difficult task.
As a teacher of mathematics, I am always looking for ways to teach a concept differently. Professional development opportunities are just one way to do this. I feel that another way to do this might be in the students. Our students can teach us just as much as we teach them. They can often think of new and creative ways to help explain a problem, or build on an explanation already provided for them. Continuing to develop my approach will keep even the most common tasks fresh. Each day is a new experience. Every student has the potential to give us that teachable moment.