I have had an undeniable passion for mathematics most of my life. In fourth grade, the math work began to seem like a fun game rather than work itself. My fourth-grade teacher was the direct source of the math fun that inspired me to want to pursue a career in mathematics education. During the remainder of my math career, I felt that although math was a challenge it was also a game designed specifically for my brain to solve and win. That is what my philosophy of teaching mathematics is; a fun and thought provoking way to engage all students.
Mathematics can be taught using direct instruction, inquiry based instruction or indirect instruction. The philosophy that I believe in is a combination of all three different types of instruction. As an educator, more specifically a mathematics educator, it is my duty to reduce math anxiety while preparing future mathematicians for their future. By allowing students to learn directly from myself or a peer and to ask questions to provoke a deeper understanding of mathematics and mathematical language I am creating a classroom that is full of mathematical fun, reasoning, and learning. The most effective approach to doing this has been seen in my own classroom. The most effective way is to have students interact with me or with each other to learn mathematics. By having students not only listen to me, they will gain knowledge from peers which will help reduce anxiety about a certain approach they make. Students succeed in mathematics when they can learn from peers due to the common language shared and understanding level of each other. If students can work in groups, they are more likely to comprehend and apply information being learned. Group work in mathematics will also teach students to work collaboratively due to the complexity of translating a mathematic problem into words.
I am a firm believer that all children respond positively and recall more information when they use manipulatives to learn. As an elementary teacher, it is my duty to guide every student through the necessary steps needed to meet the learning objective at hand. While using manipulatives students are scaffolded throughout the entire unit or lesson. An example of using manipulatives to scaffold learning at an elementary level may include a lesson in mathematics pertaining to adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing complex or simple numbers using Jenga pieces.
Mathematics can be taught using direct instruction, inquiry based instruction or indirect instruction. The philosophy that I believe in is a combination of all three different types of instruction. As an educator, more specifically a mathematics educator, it is my duty to reduce math anxiety while preparing future mathematicians for their future. By allowing students to learn directly from myself or a peer and to ask questions to provoke a deeper understanding of mathematics and mathematical language I am creating a classroom that is full of mathematical fun, reasoning, and learning. The most effective approach to doing this has been seen in my own classroom. The most effective way is to have students interact with me or with each other to learn mathematics. By having students not only listen to me, they will gain knowledge from peers which will help reduce anxiety about a certain approach they make. Students succeed in mathematics when they can learn from peers due to the common language shared and understanding level of each other. If students can work in groups, they are more likely to comprehend and apply information being learned. Group work in mathematics will also teach students to work collaboratively due to the complexity of translating a mathematic problem into words.
I am a firm believer that all children respond positively and recall more information when they use manipulatives to learn. As an elementary teacher, it is my duty to guide every student through the necessary steps needed to meet the learning objective at hand. While using manipulatives students are scaffolded throughout the entire unit or lesson. An example of using manipulatives to scaffold learning at an elementary level may include a lesson in mathematics pertaining to adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing complex or simple numbers using Jenga pieces.