Questions and Answers

I wonder if my oldest daughter would feel better about the subject of math if she had an instructor that had engaged her in problem solving?
The process of learning through problem solving that we have experienced in class so far this semester has made it very clear to me why my oldest daughter hates math. Math for her was a struggle because she constantly felt that she was failing by making errors. If she had an experience where she could have applied the knowledge she had (background knowledge) and engaged in a problem solving process where mistakes were supported she may have learned to love math. This way of teaching and engaging students with math makes math a subject that is directly related to their lives and not just something that they either excel at or fail at. The use of math in our daily lives is overlooked in most math classes which makes the learning really not relevant to the students. It is my hope that by taking this class and striving to teach math in an engaging and problem solving way that students like my daughter will not leave my class hating math, but instead feel confident and successful.