My Philosophy of Teaching Mathematics
Robert John Meehan once said, “Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning.” As a future educator, I want to share my knowledge and understanding with my students and pass on my passion for learning to them. Teachers need to inspire their students through their teaching and motivate them to reach their highest academic goals. They need to instill confidence in the students through all aspects of learning to help them feel comfortable and supported in the classroom. I want all of my students to feel that they are a part of the class and can actively participate in their learning.
When teaching mathematics, it is not only important to be knowledgeable about the content, but it is necessary that the student be able to comprehend the material being presented to them. Implementing explicit instruction in the classroom is essential especially for mathematics because students need extensive practice and scaffolding to retain new concepts and reach mastery. Since all students come from diverse levels of knowledge and backgrounds in mathematics, teachers need to investigate how each individual student learns and what level of learning they are at. As a teacher, I will make sure to plan math lessons and activities that will not only address all learning levels, but also actively involve the students and capture their attention.
I have found that hands-on manipulatives are a great tool to use in mathematics whenever possible. Giving the students a visual that they can touch and manipulate deeply engages them in the lesson and helps them make connections to the problem. Also, the teaching strategy of cooperative learning is extremely important to incorporate into a student’s mathematical learning. Students learn from their peers when they work together by conversing and sharing their ideas to solve complicated math problems.
My classroom goal is to challenge my students in mathematics and encourage them to think deeply and thoroughly when problem solving, as well as create a comfortable and safe learning environment. I will make the focus of my classroom a “student-centered” environment by using differentiated instruction. This type of instruction uses a variety of methods and strategies to teach students in order to make sure that all needs are met and they have every opportunity to be successful. Mathematics is a very challenging subject, so by giving students positive feedback, praise, and encouragement in mathematics, they will feel supported and confident in their learning environment. I will encourage my students to be eager to learn and see the excitement and importance of mathematics. Mathematics is essential and is a part of everyday life and therefore, it needs to be taught to students with understanding and enthusiasm. The student’s success is not only beneficial for the student, but is tremendously rewarding for the teacher as well.
When teaching mathematics, it is not only important to be knowledgeable about the content, but it is necessary that the student be able to comprehend the material being presented to them. Implementing explicit instruction in the classroom is essential especially for mathematics because students need extensive practice and scaffolding to retain new concepts and reach mastery. Since all students come from diverse levels of knowledge and backgrounds in mathematics, teachers need to investigate how each individual student learns and what level of learning they are at. As a teacher, I will make sure to plan math lessons and activities that will not only address all learning levels, but also actively involve the students and capture their attention.
I have found that hands-on manipulatives are a great tool to use in mathematics whenever possible. Giving the students a visual that they can touch and manipulate deeply engages them in the lesson and helps them make connections to the problem. Also, the teaching strategy of cooperative learning is extremely important to incorporate into a student’s mathematical learning. Students learn from their peers when they work together by conversing and sharing their ideas to solve complicated math problems.
My classroom goal is to challenge my students in mathematics and encourage them to think deeply and thoroughly when problem solving, as well as create a comfortable and safe learning environment. I will make the focus of my classroom a “student-centered” environment by using differentiated instruction. This type of instruction uses a variety of methods and strategies to teach students in order to make sure that all needs are met and they have every opportunity to be successful. Mathematics is a very challenging subject, so by giving students positive feedback, praise, and encouragement in mathematics, they will feel supported and confident in their learning environment. I will encourage my students to be eager to learn and see the excitement and importance of mathematics. Mathematics is essential and is a part of everyday life and therefore, it needs to be taught to students with understanding and enthusiasm. The student’s success is not only beneficial for the student, but is tremendously rewarding for the teacher as well.