Summary and Synthesis

So far this semester's Tuesday and Thursday classes have opened my eyes to a different way of teaching. One thing I have always wondered about was how am I going to teach math to my students so that they are able to understand it in a better way than I was. This class has given me a new way of thinking and has produced me with some new ideas about teaching math. For instance working on one quality problem with extensions can help a student become more confident in their math skills. The trick is to make sure the task is meeting a standard and is at the appropriate level for the students. Another thing I have learned is that the teacher needs to stay out of the way of students learning. Students learn by making mistakes and as a future teacher I will try to balance the line between encouragement and support and taking over. I remember reading some article where the teacher taught his entire class by asking questions like; what shape is this? and how would you find the area? Asking questions helps students make meaningful connections to them that will develop into quality math skills. The recent experiences I have had in this class has encouraged me to become a more quality teacher and I am excited to see what else I will learn.