Quality teacher, quality teaching-learning can give quality education. Qualities of every subject teacher are many and varied. Some of them are the ability to inspire, be patient and be intelligent. Being a mathematics teacher, here, I have attempted to discuss some of them that a math teacher needs to acquire.
- Math is a communicative subject
Mathematics provides a powerful means of communication which can be used to present information in figures, tables, charts, graphs and symbols and the process of communication is to be developed at the same time with the teaching of mathematics content together with other skills.
One of the aims of teaching mathematics is to develop students' ability to interpret and communicate mathematical ideas. In any mathematics lesson, communication can not be separated from problem solving and mathematical thinking. In a problem solving process, besides playing a role as an instrument for thinking mathematically , language is also important for verbal representations and together with other representations such as diagrams, concrete materials , symbols and ICT.
Therefore , being a math teacher, it requires understanding how to communicate with your students . So, hitting the communication aspect is extremely important for success in the profession.
Math is about making sense
When you are teaching any concept, try to relate with its application. Make clear by connecting with real life problems , either to the problem that occurred in human civilization or it helps to solve upcoming problems. Math is as old as human civilization . As society advances , their problems arise and different areas of mathematics rise. Some of the ways to encourage sensemaking in maths.
(i) get rid of the question many students believe that the goal of math is to get answers really fast. They don’t believe that doing math means thinking about situations, pondering different ideas, or even taking time to understand a story before trying to calculate anything. Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry points to its solution. They analyze givens, constraints, relationships, and goals. They make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution and plan a solution pathway rather than simply jumping into a solution attempt
(ii) get rid of the question and the number
This approach is similar to the first but goes a step further by framing the scenario to students without any numbers.it may include words, images or diagrams.
(iii) ask about ideas not answer
Sensemaking in math is important as
-it is tied to student involvement
-it can boost student engagement
-it may create more equitable learning
Math teacher adopts different teaching technique
In the classroom there are different types of students with heterogeneous nature. Some learn maths by self practice, some are slow learners, some have a weak base to learn appropriately. So, math teachers should adopt various teaching methods so that the classroom teaching learning environment will be effective.
Math is about growth mindset
Having a growth mindset means behaving that a person's abilities aren’t innate but can be improved through effort, learning and persistence. A growth mindset is all about the attitude with which a person faces challenges, how they process failures and how they adapt and evolve as a result.
Students base their mindsets largely on feedback and praise that they receive from parents and teachers. Praising a student's efforts instead of their intelligence will reinforce a growth mindset. Growth mindset can be developed in the class by adopting following ways:
-focus your praise on the process, not the product or the person.
-encourage students to find multiple ways to solve problems.
-do not avoid mistakes
-value depth over speed.
Math teacher is passionate in the subject
Math teachers must be passionate about their subject. In the world of explosion of knowledge where various resources of mathematics are found in the form of video, poster ,ICT, online materials, journals, articles and research paper. Teachers should know about these things so that their reflection is seen in the classroom. Teachers should be able to use geo-gebra, animated video, online materials in the classroom. Rather than teaching only sometimes movies related to mathematics can be shown in the classroom.
Emphasize on teamwork
Students like to learn in a group so that in a classroom teacher must conduct group activity by assigning project work. Sometimes different tasks can be provided by creating a group. Group work shows that students can improve their critical thinking and problem solving skills; furthermore, their way of expressing themselves becomes better. This method helps students learn interactively and efficiently. Attributes like critical thinking, communication , creativity and collaboration i.e 4 c;s can be developed among students by making a group.
Let the students teach
Let students teach in the class. For teaching it must need a clear concept of subject matter for this students need to study the subject in broad and detail.
Integrate technology in the classroom
Technology is probably the most powerful instrument one can have at their classes.it is helpful in teaching learning activities. By using a laptop and projector one can show animation , video online material for difficult concepts of mathematics.
In conclusion, Mathematics is a subject which is not liked by many students but can be made interesting by applying the above mentioned characteristics of teachers.
Shambhu Prasad Nirala
HOD, Mathematics
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