What I Can Do

 So, while I was scouring the Internet looking for videos or images for Show and Tell #5, I came across the following image and it inspired me to write my first blog post:

Although I am only a recent graduate from Teachers College and have not had the opportunity to teach math within the classroom yet, this image very accurately depicts the responses I get from people (friends, colleagues, family, etc.) when I tell them I have been tutoring math for the past 3 years and that I am taking this course.

…maybe add in a few “Are you CRAZY?” and “Why on earth would you want to teach math?!” responses as well.

Response #1: “I hate math.”

There are many reasons why people hate math.  “It’s boring”, “I don’t get it”, “I’m never going to use it” are very common reasons why people hate math. 

Response #2: “Wow, you must be really smart.” 

Not necessarily.

So. What can I bring to a math classroom?

Firstly, math doesn’t have to be boring.  This has become even more evident to me after being in this course for only a couple of weeks.  We have been sharing excellent resources, tools, ideas, strategies, etc. that not only make math fun and engaging, but connect it to the world around us.  The videos that everyone posted were entertaining and some demonstrated real-world applications of math and its importance in our society.  I can easily see myself using these resources to enhance my future math lessons.  Through differentiated instruction, real-life examples, cross-curricular integration, and incorporating technology, math class can be exceptionally engaging and fun.

Added to that, having even a little bit of a sense of humour goes a very long way.  Even if it's just a simple corny math joke, a good sense of humour brightens everyone's day. 

Secondly, I didn’t always get math either.  However, with some hard work and motivation from my teachers, I was able to succeed in math class.  This is something I stress to the students I tutor and will emphasize in my future classrooms.  Success takes a lot of hard work and patience.  I will be there to support my students, provide help and encouragement (as my own teachers did) so that they can also succeed in gaining an understanding of math and its applications.