Welcoming a New Math

Unpleasant.

 That is the word I would chose to describe not only how I would view my math experience in primary and secondary school, but it was also how I would describe how I felt when I learned I would be taking a math course in teachers college. “I'm going to be teaching geography, why do I have to learn how to teach math?” is what I was thinking. After two weeks in my math course, I quickly learned that this course is not what I thought it was, and teaching math is not going to be what I thought it was.

                There is a shift happening with how we are teaching students in Ontario and across Canada about math, changes for the good. In general, there seems to be profound focus on how educators are teaching their students math in regards to how their students learn best. I often felt behind the curve while in math class. In secondary school I recall on the struggles I had, most of which I can now relate to how I was being taught math, not the math itself. I am ecstatic to learn that math in Ontario is being shifted towards a more co-operative learning experience between teachers and students. I am even more excited that I will be learning and involved in this shift.

                When it comes down to it, teaching math is being shifted from a primarily “fixed mindset” to what is known as a “growth mind set”. What this means is that math teachers are being asked to think outside the box, or the text book, in order to get their students to learn math in a more tangible, real-world way. A main way educators can do this is focus on more problem solving based activities, questions and exercises that make math more sense, increase mathematical dialogue between students, while promoting more challenging questions and the development and use of a student’s own judgement.

Anderson, M. (2010, March 31). Math Manipulatives. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/2df2GpB

                A key idea that was outlined in the second week of the math class was the use of manipulatives in math. Before, manipulatives in math were mostly associated with struggling students, but that is no longer the case. A Growth Mind Set empowers the use of manipulatives for all levels of student learning as they can create more understanding and student engagement in the classroom.

                Another key idea is that some students and people are inherently bad at math, while some are great at it. This belief is often supported by many and can be routinely seen throughout the media. I was one of those students; I placed the blame on my math class struggles on the thought that I did not get the math “gene”. However, most people’s negative view on math can be broken down to the way they were taught math, a way that did not spark imagination and engagement, a way that would often leave students behind.

                As educators, we must leave behind the way we were taught math in order to develop a better understanding of how our students want to learn, and what the best way for them to learn. Math can be fun and engaging, but only if the teacher makes it that way. 

             The main goal of this blog is to educate the readers about how teaching math is changing, highlighting new ideas that facilitate a Growth Mind Set towards math instruction and learning by ways of useful tips and educational write ups centered around numerous math processes  for students K-8.