Math 227 is a course which I already have found to be extremely beneficial and necessary for Liberal Studies majors. Many people, like myself, worry about teaching mathematics to students in the future because of unpleasant past mathematical experiences. Math is often a subject that many students find challenging, which is why this class is extremely important. We, the future teachers of America, must be well equipped to teach our students in a positive and uplifting manner not only how to do math, but how to understand and explain the steps that are taken to get to their answer. Many children tie math to negative and frustrating thoughts, this however often comes from students who have had teachers who were poor at teaching the material. I personally have always said that I struggle with math. Thinking back on past experiences with math however, I find that in classes where I better enjoyed and actually understood the material were in classes where I had teachers who took the time to slow down and really find the underlying problem to my confusion. The most frustrating times I had in my mathematics history were first grade, fifth grade, freshman, and junior year. When I think back to all of those math classes, I am filled with instant anxiety. When I really look deeper into the structure of how the class was taught though, I find one common denominator. That common denominator was the speed of the class and the tone in which the instructors taught. In each of these classes questions were not answered and I often times found myself feeling like the questions I had were not worth asking because they were "dumb questions". If Math 227 has taught me anything already it is that no question is a dumb question and that all questions should be listened to and answered in a way that makes the student still feel positive and confident about the work they are putting in to the equation. Some of the most positive math class experiences I have had come simply from the fact that the teacher did not make me feel stupid, but made me feel safe in asking questions. I think that when teaching math it is so extraordinarily important to allow the students to feel safe in the questions they have and to try and steer them to the right answer using ideas and pieces that they themselves have kind of put together. I think that the way in which we experience math is extremely important to reflect on when going to be a teacher. If we have all negative thoughts towards math, that negative attitude will reflect the way we teach our future students. That is why Math 227 is such an important class. It not only will teach us how to break down and see the areas that the students need more help on, but will also leave us with a better understanding and positive mindset when it comes to math. With a positive math experience on our side we will find our teaching skills to greatly mirror this positive experience through the successful way we are able to teach our students.
As this math series progresses a few goals I have are:
1) Push myself to see math in a new light, not as an anxiety-ridden, enemy of a subject.
2) Do not say "I'm just not a math person"
3) Completely engage in groups and really pretend that you are in a classroom trying to figure out ways to make a concept click with students
4) Try to find multiple ways to aid different students learning styles within a single problem