Final Reflection

Education 3940: Mathematics in the Primary/Elementary Grades was the course I dreaded completing the most. Through primary school right up through the elementary grades, I struggled with understanding mathematics. During high school, I completed an advanced math course by efficiently remembering formula upon formula. By the time I completed two math courses in my first year of university, I still had not gained a conceptual understanding of the mathematics involved. Therefore, my own personal struggle with mathematics left me feeling incompetent. I dreaded taking the Mathematics 3940 course.

And now, as I write my final reflection for Education 3940, I feel as though I have grown as an individual and am one step closer to becoming an effective teacher. First and foremost, I have alleviated my own fear of mathematics. When on the first day of class, we placed ourselves accordingly to how we felt about math, I stood nearer the middle of the classroom. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be able to stand at the front of the classroom where I could proudly say that I loved math. Even as I write these words, I cringe a little. I cannot yet say that I love math but I am very proud with the progress I have made over alleviating my own personal fear of math. The key to alleviating my fear of math was to jump into the course with no hesitation and most importantly, to keep an open mind. I believe the math fair really opened my eyes to what I could accomplish in the area of my own mathematical learning. As I completed each new problem-solving question presented by my peers with enthusiasm and determination, I felt such a great sense of accomplishment. For one of my observation days, I had the opportunity to participate in a mathematics professional development day. I was given the opportunity to view firsthand how students respond to mathematical content by way of reasoning and communication. That experience showed me the significance of understanding the mathematics behind a given formula. Both experiences allowed me to overcome my own fear of math to truly learn how to make math more meaningful to and engaging for students.

Over the course of this semester, the most important thing I learned was knowing how to create a safe and comfortable environment in which students could effectively learn mathematics. All throughout school, I was expected to complete a mathematical problem or formula the exact same way the teacher had shown us. I never could understand why students could not use their own strategy to complete a problem. Needless to say, I recognize the significance of enabling students to apply a number of strategies to a problem. When a student is encouraged to develop and/or apply a particular strategy to a problem, he/she can more effectively determine if the solution is justifiable. This in turn, allows the student a more comprehensive understanding of the mathematics at hand. I learned that mathematics need not be completed in isolation but rather should be encouraged through group work. Students effectively grow into learning when interacting with peers.

Another important thing I learned this semester was that problem-solving should be an integral part of the mathematics program. Instead of setting one day aside for problem-solving, open-ended questions should be offered to students consistently. Problem-solving questions should reflect the mathemmatics which is to be learned, be encouraged as group or whole class initiatives and be meaningful in relation to the real world, again allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the math involved.

The most important thing I have taken away from this course is that as effective mathematics teachers, it is our responsibility to ensure that students not only efficiently complete a mathematics problem but to also provide a justifiable response as to how the mathematics makes sense.

"Go down deep enough into anything and you will find mathematics"
                                                                         Dean Schlicter