New Insights and Their Implications

Based on the mathematical instruction that I have had in my past schooling, I thought that the only way to succeed at math was to memorize as many formulas as possible and hope that I didn't forget them. However, it was very easy to forget these formulas because no one ever took the time to explain where the formula came from and why it worked to solve for the correct answer. Even in elementary school I remember memorizing charts and multiplication tables. In class I like that we work on the theory behind these formulas and processes so that we can better understand how to apply them and why they work. Math is definitely not my strongest subject and I think it would have been easier to understand if I was taught in a way that I could make connections and put reasoning behind what I was trying to do.

As a future teacher I look to teach math to my students in a different way than I was taught growing up. I think that by teaching students how and why something works they will be able to better understand the application and be able to retain the information. I can understand that it may be more difficult to teach in this way, especially since math is not my strongest subject, but I can still properly prepare for instruction and I believe that I can still accomplish teaching my students in this way. Students will be more motivated in mathematics if they are taught in a way that enables them to understand the "why" and the "how" and be able make connections from one concept to the next.