"Mathematics is useful, mathematics is beautiful, and mathematics disciplines the mind," is a quote that sums up my educational philosophy of mathematics.
Math is the second most useful language a student will acquire. It is universal and a life-long skill. I believe strong number sense and early mathematical understanding is the most important part of a students' mathematical journey. Furthermore, I believe math success is also attributed to having a hefty "toolbox" of strategies for solving. The standard algorithm way of teaching is outdated and not how students think. Number talks are present daily in my classroom, and we build community and our mathematical minds daily by exploring strategies that work best for us and for our peers.
Math is beautiful because it is an international language. I believe, as a teacher, students can demonstrate understanding of mathematics through strategy use and cooperative learning tasks. English Language Learners often excel in math before any other subject due to the symbolic representations being universal. Math is inclusive, as is my classroom.
Math causes my students to think critically. In an ever increasing STEM focused world, I use technology and partner based learning to solve problems during math and problem solving. There is no "one" way to think about math. I challenge my students to decide how they are going to look at a problem and become a master of the problem presented to them!
Math is the second most useful language a student will acquire. It is universal and a life-long skill. I believe strong number sense and early mathematical understanding is the most important part of a students' mathematical journey. Furthermore, I believe math success is also attributed to having a hefty "toolbox" of strategies for solving. The standard algorithm way of teaching is outdated and not how students think. Number talks are present daily in my classroom, and we build community and our mathematical minds daily by exploring strategies that work best for us and for our peers.
Math is beautiful because it is an international language. I believe, as a teacher, students can demonstrate understanding of mathematics through strategy use and cooperative learning tasks. English Language Learners often excel in math before any other subject due to the symbolic representations being universal. Math is inclusive, as is my classroom.
Math causes my students to think critically. In an ever increasing STEM focused world, I use technology and partner based learning to solve problems during math and problem solving. There is no "one" way to think about math. I challenge my students to decide how they are going to look at a problem and become a master of the problem presented to them!