The Shifting View of Mathematics

What a relief it is to know that the view of mathematics is changing and that we as future teachers will continue and embrace that change!

Mathematics for me as a child was downright frightening! I can distinctly remember that sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach when the teacher began to call upon students for answers. Nine chances out of ten, I didn't have the correct answer and if I just so happened to have it, then it came from a nearby friend. I also remember when doing seatwork, how  the teacher would circulate the rows of desks, peering over the student's shoulder to check their work. When the teacher stopped by my desk, I always pretended to be deep in thought but...I didn't really have a clue! I remember how when tests and quizzes were passed back, questions that I had wrong (and there were many!) were never explained to me. I was never shown where I had gone wrong in my attempt to calculate the right answer and so I felt as though I wasn't intelligent enough to understand math.

Calling upon a child in front of their peers for an answer to a problem often embarrasses and instills fear in a child. Peering over a student's shoulder without recognizing that he/she needs guidance does not build confidence within. Not helping a child understand where he/she went wrong in a problem does not enable further understanding. Simply telling a child if they are right or wrong when it comes to a mathematics problem is to enable the child dependent on the teacher for justification of solutions. For me personally, I relied on memorizing formulas to complete a math problem. Now, students are expected to justify a solution which allows for a deeper understanding of the mathematics at hand. I believe the shifting view of mathematics is steering both the teacher and the student alike, away from negative practices and moving towards effective problem-solving skills. Even though my own experiences with mathematics were mostly negative, I believe that I can use my personal experiences to create positive learning experiences for my future students. I feel as though my own fear of math is subsiding when I realize I can create a safe and comfortable atmosphere in which children grow and thrive in learning together.

I believe the key concept is found in the word "together" when it comes to the shifting view of mathematics. I believe as with every other discipline, active learning and participation with one another should be encouraged and enforced. I believe that when students can be made to feel safe in exploring different ways to do math, the overall rate of success will be great. What I like the most about the shifting view  of mathematics is the encouragement of using multiple strategies to solve a problem. When I was in school, if I did not use the teacher's method of solving a problem, then the problem was marked incorrect. Encouraging students to apply a number of strategies to a problem enables active learning and construction of one's own knowledge. Applying a number of strategies to a problem also enables a deeper understanding of how  and why a solution is deemed correct. Students therefore, strengthen their reasoning and communication skills, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of mathematics.

I can now  begin to view mathematics as a humanity. Mathematics for me was always completed in isolation. With the shifting change, mathematics can be explored in a positive group setting. Mathematics for me was always a question of is this right or wrong? With the shifting change, mathematics can make sense in the justification of the math itself. Mathematics for me was a subject always put on the back burner and willingly ignored. With the new shifting view of mathematics, I can explore new problems and situations with confidence and know  that mathematics is a positive aspect of my life and not a negative one.

With the new shifting change of mathematics, I know that I can put aside my fears, even tackle the problems in the text with little hesitation and use my newfound attitude and knowledge to create a positive learning experience for my future students.

Mathematics is a humanity; it is a relationship between people and involves the exploration and discovery of patterns and solutions. Math can bring together a group of active learners who ultimately construct their own knowledge and meaning.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

"A teacher's purpose is not to create students in their own image, but to develop students who can create their own image."

Author Unknown

In the video "Do Schools Kill Creativity", Ken Robinson makes a vital point about the unpredictability of the future. Teachers are given the immense responsibility of preparing students for a future we simply cannot grasp. If the education system continues to insist on a hierarchy of teaching language, mathematics, science and so on, the whole being is not being educated and therefore, teachers have failed to truly teach students.

I agree with Ken Robinson when he says that the education system is predicated on university exam entrances. Absolutely! Growing up, that was the main message in school-"this will prepare you for university!" I remember how I would feel absolutely nauseated as I heard those words over and over as a child. For one, I grew up in a single-parent home...do you think there was money set aside for me to attend university? Not on your life. I always knew at a young age that attending university would be a struggle for me in the way of financial matters. I wish someone had said to me "Tiffany, the world is yours to behold. You can be a musician, you can be an artist, you can be a teacher." Yet, my "world to behold" was already set for me and everyone else, regardless-university. What pressure!

Ken Robinson is right. Degrees aren't worth anything. All too often you hear, "Oh, I'm just working here until I can find a job", "There are no jobs in my field." Sure, I realize that that happens but how many of those people do you think should have done something different, something meaningful with their lives? I bet a whole lot.

Teachers are killing student's creativity when we force each and every student to learn in the same way; when students are subjected to pen and paper assessment and when we place too much importance on one subject and not enough importance on the other. Teachers are creating students in their own image. Students should be given the tools to become critical thinkers; to question what it is they are being taught so that they can dictate their own lives. Why can't the child who loves to dance tell a story through motion, why can't the child who loves to act improvise a historical play, why can't the child who loves to draw, draw a picture of a thousand words? Why must the child who loves to play the piano be encouraged to do so only as a past time? Why must the child in science write a response to everything when she can perform all kinds of experiments? Why must a child show his workings in math when you as a teacher can see that he has extraordinary mental math skills?

Mary Stordy's words have truly made me reflect on what it means to be a teacher. "Every child has a strength and it is our responsibility as teachers to draw from and make prominent that strength in every child, not squander it." If intelligence is diverse, dynamic and distinct, the education system needs to be changed so that teachers can enable students to grow into creativity and not out of it.

My Math Autobiography

If you asked me today what I thought about mathematics, I would offer three different opinions on the subject: math is challenging, math is intimidating and an extreme fear of math can be overcome.

From kindergarten to grade six, I have vague memories of what mathematics looked like in my classroom. I do however, remember that most of my math lessons took place in a highly teacher oriented way. At all grade levels (of which I can remember) the teacher would stand at the front of the classroom, writing examples on the board from which the students would copy down. I remember oftentimes, how students would be called upon to give an answer or would be asked to record the answer on the chalkboard in front of the entire class. For me, the thought of having to show my answer to a math problem in front of the whole class was absolutely terrifying. Needless to say, I always felt much stress and anxiety during math class. After the teaching sequence, my fellow classmates and I would be given individual seatwork and the remainder would be assigned for homework. I remember how using hands-on materials such as blocks or cubes would rarely be used and almost treated as a positive reinforcer rather than as a learning resource. Although, I do remember how the majority of the students would be much more engaged with the task at hand during these particular lessons. Nevertheless, I feel as though the way mathematics was taught reflected upon my teacher's attitudes towards the subject itself. I believe most of my teachers might have had some concerns and/or dislikes with mathematics and so my fellow classmates and I were not engaged or encouraged in a positive way in this subject area.


My absolute worst memory surrounding mathematics occurred when I was in grade three. My class had just returned from music and the teacher quickly ushered us back to our seats. The teacher then stood at the front of the classroom and not too subtlety told me in front of the entire class that I did not understand how to add or subtract properly. She then proceeded to tell me in front of the class that my math book was being sent home for further practice. I was devastated and embarrassed to say the least. I clearly struggled with mathematics at a young age and so my teacher's grand announcement did little to improve my self-esteem.


As I got older, I would consider myself to have been "okay" at math. I did not fail at math by any means but when compared to my other subjects, there was a significant decrease in my grades. Assessment consisted of just that-grades. Assessment was comprised of giving a test and assigning a particular letter or number grade. The worst form of assessment I can remember was the test of mental math. The teacher would stand at the front of the classroom and call out a math problem which had to be completed in so many minutes or perhaps even less than. I failed almost every single one of those mental math assessments. Knowing that I had to complete the problem in a set amount of time caused me great anxiety. I could never actually complete the problem efficiently because I was too worried about having to produce an answer, just like that!


My very first math quiz in high school I failed miserably. Something inside of me ticked and I vowed to put my all into mathematics from there on in. I found myself a tutor in the classroom with whom I would work with the entire class instead of sitting with my friends. After that, math came quite easily to me- much to my surprise. In grade eleven, I took advanced math and did very well. I chose to return to academic math in grade twelve and again did very well. One of my greatest accomplishments with mathematics occured when I was in grade eleven. As part of a mentoring program at school, I replaced one of my courses with mentoring a high school math course. In that class, I was responsible for answering student questions and working one-on-one with struggling learners. That experience helped alleviate some of my own personal fears of mathematics and instilled in me a sense of great pride.


The math courses I took in University were Math 1050 and Math 1051 and I did not take any math electives. I did fairly well with those courses but by that time the stress of university had gotten to me and I did not put as much effort into math as I did in high school.


As for today, my daily life relies heavily on the use of mathematics. I have rent to pay, bills to uphold and a budget to follow. After high school, I worked at the YMCA for a period of time. There, I was responsible for completing invoices for birthday party and membership sales transactions. At the end of each night shift, I was responsible for cashing off my transactions made throughout the day. More recently, I work at Extreme Pita where I am responsible for cash, debit and credit transactions. Time, money, space and relationships make up my daily life- mathematics.


I feel as though I have had a long journey with mathematics. I have gone from being intimidated by math in primary/elementary, to not caring and barely scraping by in junior high and to overcoming my challenges in high school. Right now, I see math as a subject which I want to learn to like. I want to learn how to see math as engaging so that I can instill that same kind of positive attitude in my future students.

Welcome to my Blog! :)

"Mathematics should be fun"-Peter J. Hilton

Hi! :) My name is Tiffany Fifield. I am currently in my fourth year at Memorial University studying to become a primary/elementary teacher. I have created this blog as part of a course requirement for Education 3940: Mathematics in the Primary and Elementary Grades. I believe as future teachers, it is important to find within ourselves our own personal expression of creativity to foster creativity and knowledge within our students. By reflecting on my experiences with mathematics and posting my thoughts and opinions on the subject, I am given the opportunity to do just so. Throughout this course, I hope to learn how to make mathematics less intimidating and more engaging for students.

I look forward to this new experience!