Summary & Synthesis

The first couple of weeks in class has given me a whole new perspective on how to teach math. I have learned that it is important to back up and give students the chance to solve problems on their own. Teaching math, for most people, means introducing a problem and showing students how to solve it in a step-by-step process. Instead, I have learned that as teachers we need to allow students to work through a problem in a way that works best for them and come up with a solution on their own. Students will learn how to solve problems on their own without relying on a teacher telling them what to do. It is also important for the teacher to allow students time to discuss their problem-solving processes. Discussion gives students the chance to reflect back on their work as well as share their findings with other students. When sharing with others, students will see that there is more than one way to arrive at a solution. I never really thought about this approach to teaching, because I remember learning math the way that the teacher taught it to us--the way she wanted us to learn it. The last few weeks of discussion has really opened my eyes to a method that I would have never thought to use.