If
You Believe In Yourself You Can Do Anything
One
of my favorite topics to study in recent years has been brain research,
specifically the adolescent brain and how it learns. One of the most important things a student can do in their
study of mathematics (or any other subject I suppose) is to believe in
themselves and believe they can learn math and do well in it. This will come easy for some and not so
easy for others. Parents can help students who have had difficult experiences
with math by encouraging them and assuring them that math is something they can
do if they persist through the struggles and don’t give up. As a matter of fact, when a student
struggles, their brain is lighting up and growing. Mistakes are part of the learning and
should be valued as the important learning experiences they are. A 'Growth Mindset' is the first step towards success in mathematics. (For more info refer to: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck and Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching, Jo Boaler.
Once
students have the right mindset, we are ready to get down to the work of
mathematics. Problem solving and
teamwork are at the core of our class structure. Students will be involved in
daily class conversation which will involve explaining their reasoning, and
critiquing the reasoning of classmates.
I believe in a student-centered classroom, which means students are fully
engaged participants and collaborators.
We will explore ideas together and learn from each other. Creativity will flourish. Students will have time to reflect and
write about their thinking and learning.
This is not a direct-instruction classroom. This is an environment in
which students will learn deeply about mathematics and have fun doing it.
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