I
feel the purpose of education is to prepare students with the knowledge
to solve obstacles and challenges and to encourage them to be reflective
thinkers. The knowledge students are to learn not only includes subject
material, but also how they can relate this material to real life situations.
The use of technology should also be incorporated in the learning process
for students to expand their knowledge by promoting exploration and discovery
that goes beyond the classroom. Furthermore, I believe students are to
learn life and social skills, which they will continually be implementing
throughout their lives. Reflective thinking should be encouraged so the
students learn from the process of solving a problem through critical
and abstract thinking.
The most important attributes of effective instruction involve incorporating a variety of learning strategies. Through these strategies, the students should be able to play the role of critical thinkers to investigate the mathematical concepts. Effective instruction also allows students to relate the subject matter to their lives and real life situations. I believe that educators should be enthusiastic when teaching, which motivates the students, and they should act as a guide leading the students in the process of learning. Educators are responsible for planning each lesson and trying to incorporate different learning strategies to involve all the students. It is also their responsibility to assess the students on concepts and continuously being receptive to the students’ needs. Educators should also hold high standards for the students to achieve; the standards should not be lowered because it is the students’ responsibility to meet those standards. Students have the responsibility to do their best in everything that they do; educators are to encourage students with positive reinforcement and motivate them to excel.
“Tell me, I forget; show me, I remember; involve me, I understand” (Chinese Proverb). With this in mind, educators should incorporate several different learning styles to accommodate for the students’ strengths and weaknesses. Students should be actively involved in what they are learning, which is why having hands-on activities and using as many visual aids as possible are important. Utilizing technology, such as working with math programs and calculators, engages students in the activity because it encourages them to take an active role as an investigator. The use of technology will also provide students with a wide range of experiences that expands outside of the classroom. In developing creative and fun activities, educators should try to include students’ input when planning. The reason for doing this is because the material the students are learning should reflect their opinions and ideas; if educators do not incorporate students’ interests then the students will not be as motivated to want to learn math.
To address diversity in respect to ability, educators should assign problems and activities that most, if not all, students are capable of performing well. If the students need any help, they should be encouraged to ask for assistance from the educator and fellow classmates to help clarify any questions. To address diversity in term of ethnicity, educators could include word problems or present a mathematician of a certain ethnic backgrounds to hopefully lead into a discussion.
Establishing an educative community is necessary for creating a fruitful class in which trust, respect, honesty, and responsibility are all evident. I believe the students should be respectful and considerate to other students and educators, including being open-minded to differing views, morals, and perspectives. It is important that the students feel comfortable voicing their opinions and contributing to discussions without being put down. Educators should also provide opportunities for the students to work in cooperative groups so the students value working productively and reflectively with others.
I feel that building an educative community is the key to begin to minimize any behavioral problems. The educator and the students should develop classroom guidelines together and discuss and decide upon consequences for those who disobey one of the guidelines. The guidelines should reflect what everyone wants their educative community to look like and how to achieve it. The guidelines might include: respecting yourself and others, listen to one another, do your personal best, follow directions the first time they are given, and be prepared for class. The guidelines should be visibly posted in the classroom with the students signatures on it, representing a contract. The first time a student disobeys a guideline the individual should be referred back to the list and given a warning. The second time the student disobeys a guideline they should be reprimanded by the consequences discussed when creating the guidelines. If problems continue to arise, then a classroom meeting should take place addressing the problem and brainstorming ways to handle the situation. If a situation occurs that is serious, then the educator should speak to the student in private, rather than addressing it in front of the class and embarrassing the student. After the student and the educator discuss the situation, they should discuss appropriate plans of action according to the school’s policies.
Students should be assessed according to their individual progress. Educators should continually be assessing students’ knowledge of mathematics by observing them working during class and by the students’ results on homework assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, and group work. Educators should listen carefully to the students’ answers, questions, and class discussions because they offer valuable information about whether or not the students understand the material, or if the educator needs to clarify certain concepts. I feel that participation is an important component to include in the assessment because it not only provides feedback for the educator, but also encourages students to offer solutions or comments rather than being a passive student. Homework assignments should be fair, but challenging, so students can practice certain skills and concepts. Quizzes should be given to check if students comprehend certain concepts and reach certain benchmarks. Tests are measures of reporting if students have mastered the concepts and topics covered in a unit. I feel that projects should extend outside of the classroom and incorporate how mathematics is applied in real life. The purpose of group work is for students to work cooperatively with one another and then reflecting on the involvement of each member and how the team worked together to reach their goals. Students should realize that conversation skills and many other social skills are important to be a productive part of society.
An educator’s role as a member of the teaching profession is to bring a high-quality education—where encouraging abstract thinking, life and social skills is the goal for every student—because I feel it is the building block for people to become successful in the future. It is also the educator’s responsibility to provide equal learning opportunities for all students and to encourage students that they all are bright people and can do well in mathematics. It is important to motivate and engage students in mathematics to help them see connections as to why mathematics is important by relating it to real life situations and the students’ lives. Incorporating active learning through a variety of activities invites students to participate, which makes mathematics fun and alive.
Last Updated November 2004
Contact me at ericapapp@yahoo.com