First Week of Math Class Second Year

Well we are back for another year (our final year) and ready to take on the new challenges and strategies of teaching math to junior and intermediate levels. Our first class was more of an introduction class however I really enjoyed the introduction activity.

Our instructor used a simple card trick that involved slight of hand and simple mathematics which resulted in the final product yielding the four queens on four separate piles. After observing, we were able to go our own separate ways to learn how to do the trick and to figure out the mathematics behind it. This exercise was an excellent way to get us to collaborate our own ideas and come to out won conclusions.

For the online session of our class we focused on the stereotypes associated with mathematics and why people tend to dislike math. Well, often people dislike math because they just do not get it. This can be for a number of reasons, the most common reason being a poor instructor. Mathematics takes practice and often repetition to understand certain formulas and concepts, and an instructor who is not willing to put in the time and effort to teach often hurts the learner. At this point the learner will give up. Sometimes you hear students and people in general saying you will not need math when it comes to the "real world," so why put in the effort to learn. Yet there are many basic strategies and concepts that will help you in the "real world." I am sure many of my colleagues can agree with me and say they have heard one of the previous statements about poor instructors and not needing math in the "real world". As for the stereotypes, there is no such thing as a "math person." Everyone has the opportunity to be successful in math. All it takes is confidence and the will to learn and continue to learn and believe in yourself. Now this may seem like a simple fix but I know there is some discipline to this. It is a lot like learning a new language. With practice and dedication simple math can be made to be as easy as holding a conversation in English and even advanced math may become easier to understand and comprehend. 

Simply keep up the hard work and math will come to you!