What was your greatest 'learning' this semester with regard to teaching children mathematics? How has your thinking shifted?
My greatest learning this semester:
I went into this course expecting to learn everything that I experienced in primary/elementary math class, but from a teacher's perspective. Things such as, ensuring we knew how to do math (multiplication of large numbers, long division, and solving problems with a given formula) or how to develop math tests and assignments. I was completely wrong.
I have learned that we do not need to give tests as a way of assessment. Instead, providing students with fun, interactive problems that are opened-ened is suffice. As well, allowing the students to be creative and providing them them with the manipulatives that they need to answer a question will also help. This way, the students are not faced with questions that only have one right answer and one right set to manipulatives to use.
The math fair was my favourite activity and possibly where my greatest learning came from this semester. From this activity, I realized that I would want my students to take chances and to not be afraid to make mistakes. Also, through this activity, the students are in charge of their learning and helping others learn new problems.
Most importantly, I have learned that discussions, which never happened in my previous math classes, should occur after every lesson. Its a way that the students can bring all of their ideas together to see what they realized about a particular problem. One fantastic thing about group discussions is the fact that the students can share different ways of approaching the same problem and seeing the problem from a different point of view.
Implementing what I have learned into my future classrooms:
In my first blog I said, "I don't have any "best" memories surrounding mathematics in primary/elementary...However, I can tell you about my worst memory." A common statement that has been and will continue to be used by students unless I take what have learned through this course and change the mathematical experiences for my future students.
My thinking about math has shifted as I learned what math truly is, read recent research, and looked at different math resources. I do not want them to have negative experiences because the learning was too difficult, not fun, not motivating. I will be sure to take what my greatest learning from this semester and implement this into my future classrooms. Evident from this class, I am capable of teaching mathematics and I am continually learning mathematical concepts, ideas, and activities to use in my future classrooms. I will take what I have learned from this course and ensure that my future students will enjoy mathematics in primary/elementary the way that I never experienced until now.
