Here is my Philosophy of Teaching Math
Mathematics educators do more than just teach math facts. With differentiated instruction, we teach students the skills they need for higher level thinking, problem solving, and the ability to use prior knowledge to then apply it to the new and unknown. Mathematics is about experimenting and learning from our mistakes. I will guide students in the right direction and allow them to come up with the solution on their own. Using student directed style lessons, my students will develop the skills to solve complex problems by observations which will lead them to analyze the things they know and apply them to solve for the things they don’t. These set of skills will help in all aspects of life whether in school or out.
A common misconception about math is that there is only one answer and only one way to get to that answer. That couldn’t be any more wrong. Math is not about doing the same thing every time to get to a simple answer. It is much more than that. Math is the idea that everything in life has patterns. It allows us to identify things we have seen before and apply them to more abstract problems. The steps taken to get to the final product are more valuable than the answer itself because it can set you up to solve many other problems. This is exactly what I will teach my students. Acknowledging all the different types of learners in classroom, I will show them how to apply all of their individual strengths and weaknesses to solve different types of problems.
My students will know that it is not the mistakes that matter but how you respond to those mistakes. I will model math problems for my students and make intentional errors to model how I handle that. They will see me check my work and know how to self-correct themselves. Being able to identify any errors and correct them effectively is a skill that will help my students for years to come. My role as a math educator is not to only teach and have the students learn from me but for me to learn from them as well. Students have a lot to offer to their peers, this is why lessons will be student directed. I will listen and learn from my students as I hope they will do with each other.
Being a math major at Mount St Mary’s College has taught me how to critically think and how to navigate my way through hard, abstract problems. I have also learned how to collaborate with others to see a problem from other’s views. Working on projects and assignments with my peers showed me firsthand how everybody thinks, and sees things differently which is why it is so crucial to have differentiated instruction to reach every individual learner in the classroom.
A common misconception about math is that there is only one answer and only one way to get to that answer. That couldn’t be any more wrong. Math is not about doing the same thing every time to get to a simple answer. It is much more than that. Math is the idea that everything in life has patterns. It allows us to identify things we have seen before and apply them to more abstract problems. The steps taken to get to the final product are more valuable than the answer itself because it can set you up to solve many other problems. This is exactly what I will teach my students. Acknowledging all the different types of learners in classroom, I will show them how to apply all of their individual strengths and weaknesses to solve different types of problems.
My students will know that it is not the mistakes that matter but how you respond to those mistakes. I will model math problems for my students and make intentional errors to model how I handle that. They will see me check my work and know how to self-correct themselves. Being able to identify any errors and correct them effectively is a skill that will help my students for years to come. My role as a math educator is not to only teach and have the students learn from me but for me to learn from them as well. Students have a lot to offer to their peers, this is why lessons will be student directed. I will listen and learn from my students as I hope they will do with each other.
Being a math major at Mount St Mary’s College has taught me how to critically think and how to navigate my way through hard, abstract problems. I have also learned how to collaborate with others to see a problem from other’s views. Working on projects and assignments with my peers showed me firsthand how everybody thinks, and sees things differently which is why it is so crucial to have differentiated instruction to reach every individual learner in the classroom.