Math shapes everything around us — the objects and utilities we use, the way we solve problems in our daily lives, even the shape and scope of our world. The myth that someone is “bad” at math is just that — a myth. New or unfamiliar concepts may be difficult to comprehend, but everyone uses some degree of math already. However, giving this confidence and insight to math-phobic students can be a challenge.
There is potential to be unlocked inside every student, no matter how much they struggle with math. Thankfully, you’ve already taken a huge step towards that goal by becoming a math educator. The next step is continuing that momentum by learning new and proven ways to reach even the most stubborn math student, showing them a path of order through what may appear to them as chaotic numbers and functions.
Each student’s grade level or age affects the way they learn and the methods that resonate best with their learning experience. That means you need the right tools to educate and properly communicate student-level methods for their future success.
A recent Stanford University study published in the journal Education Sciences showed a direct increase in student math scores after their educators completed an online course in math’s usefulness. In other words, when a teacher believes in math, their students believe in it too.
Education may center around the math itself, but ultimately it is an educator’s understanding, appreciation, and development that truly drive the lesson home for their students. Beyond the functions of numbers and concepts, there is a rich, ever-evolving world built on the foundations of math, and you are the key to bringing students into it.
Static math-as-a-function is one of the fastest ways to lose students’ engagement. Find out how to tap into the uses and applications they already know; teaching them how to turn a lesson into a thoughtful consideration and a useful tool for their lives.
This is where it all begins — a lifelong love of math, problem-solving, and the feeling of success that comes with understanding a lesson. Help shape the youngest minds in the education system with elementary math teaching guidance and tools that really work.
Your students have a lot going on in their personal growth — mentally, emotionally, and physically at this age. Math may be the furthest thing from their young minds, which means it’s up to you to bring it back to the forefront in an engaging, memorable way. Find what you need to remind them that math is applicable to — and, in many cases, an integral part of — the things that interest them.
Who teaches the teacher? Keeping your skills sharp is a necessity in the classroom; students will be watching and modeling on your own mastery of math. That said, it’s hard to keep focused on your own math-specific goals with dozens of young minds depending on you, so we want to help close the gap. Here are some quick mathematical tricks and resources to learn more math knowledge that will keep your skills sharp.