Math Vision

Last week I was able to participate in a “Math Vision” presentation that the Greater Essex County District School Board has created. Principals and teachers take part in a meeting discussing new the new Math Vision that the school board has as well as new ways of teaching math in order to increase student achievement. Meanwhile, two teacher take over a classroom and discuss this new vision with the students and ask for their feedback. I was able to participate in the classroom with the grade 7 and 8 students.

One portion of the presentation posed questions to the students which they had to discuss and respond to in groups. Some of the questions included were “How do you feel about math?” “What does it mean to be good at math?” “Any opinions about a 100 minute math block?” and “Ideal math classroom?” The responses to these questions were very interesting to read. For instance, most students said that in order to be good at math you must get good grades, and they understood that more practice means that you will get better. Yet, they were not in favour of a 100 minute math block even though it meant that more time could be spent explaining math concepts. I believe that this is related to how they felt about math. While some students said that they love math, most seemed to find it irrelevant. They did not understand how they would be able to use it in the real world. At the same time however, they were able to list many careers that rely on math!

Another interesting aspect was their view of an ideal math classroom. Some students said that they would prefer more independent time, whereas others wanted more explanations from their teachers. Some asked for more group work whereas others despised the idea! Additionally, here they asked to learn about more practical things such as doing ones taxes, and about mortgages.

Being a part of this discussion confirmed the fact that all students are different and learn differently. As teachers, we are required to present material in numerous ways so that all students can understand the material. Of course we also need to make material relevant to our students. If they do not make the connection of the material to the real world, they seem to lose interest in it fast. I enjoyed learning about the Math Vision that the GECDSB has put into place (the idea that there are multiple ways to answer one math question, that math is relevant and important, and that practice and time will help students reach their goals), and I look forward to putting it into action!