It's really true about the multiple methods for solving problems. My nemesis is teaching about "borrowing" when you need to subtract two fractions. Like 5 3/8 - 2 5/8. I haven't found a sure method yet for convincing people that 5 3/8 = 4 11/8 and that that's importnat, and I can bring everyone on board but they all seem to have their own key fact that gets them to accept it.
If current trends keep going, my first revolutionary teaching technique will be teaching as well as I can until half of the class gets it and then pairing the students up and having the remaining students learn from their classmates. I think that helps the "slower" students to work with people who are closer to their level and helps the "brighter" students to solidify their own skills (and perhaps their love of the topic).
I don't know what happens in high school that triggers math phobia. My theory (back away now) is that math is the one subject where getting a C in last year's course is simply not good enough for you to naturally understand this year's curriculum, but they'll pass you anyway. And then it's stressful because your class has got to take time out to reteach those skills even though they have their own tight schedule to keep NEXT year's course from having the same issues. My memory of elementary school math is that it's lethargically paced and shoddily tested, and everyone has their own teaching methods, so your high school class might have 30 students who are all deficient but you can't build their skills in a unified way because every student's technique is the unique brainchild of their teacher.
I can't fix any of that as being just one teacher (although I do plan to be in the minority of teachers saying "Standardized curriculum? Teach to the test?? Fuck yes!"), and I'm currently privileged to be a tutor and not a teacher so I do have the luxury of enough time to reinforce old material instead of constantly needing to plow forward even if a third of the class didn't get it. What I'm doing right now is fun and emotionally rewarding, though.
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Re: Stepping up to the plate
Date: 2010-11-07 09:06 pm (UTC)If current trends keep going, my first revolutionary teaching technique will be teaching as well as I can until half of the class gets it and then pairing the students up and having the remaining students learn from their classmates. I think that helps the "slower" students to work with people who are closer to their level and helps the "brighter" students to solidify their own skills (and perhaps their love of the topic).
I don't know what happens in high school that triggers math phobia. My theory (back away now) is that math is the one subject where getting a C in last year's course is simply not good enough for you to naturally understand this year's curriculum, but they'll pass you anyway. And then it's stressful because your class has got to take time out to reteach those skills even though they have their own tight schedule to keep NEXT year's course from having the same issues. My memory of elementary school math is that it's lethargically paced and shoddily tested, and everyone has their own teaching methods, so your high school class might have 30 students who are all deficient but you can't build their skills in a unified way because every student's technique is the unique brainchild of their teacher.
I can't fix any of that as being just one teacher (although I do plan to be in the minority of teachers saying "Standardized curriculum? Teach to the test?? Fuck yes!"), and I'm currently privileged to be a tutor and not a teacher so I do have the luxury of enough time to reinforce old material instead of constantly needing to plow forward even if a third of the class didn't get it. What I'm doing right now is fun and emotionally rewarding, though.