I write my personal philosophy from the perspective of a maths tutor, as I am yet to engage as a maths teacher. Ideally, I would love to impart on my students the same love of mathematics as I have. However, the world is rarely an ideal place.
My ethos in tutoring maths is to remove any fear the student may have in regard to mathematics and then encourage the student to develop confidence in his or her own mathematical abilities. This initial object without question is often extremely challenging. However, watching as a student grows in confidence is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a maths tutor. Furthermore, the development of mathematical confidence is catalyst for both better understanding and achievements in the subject.
My focus with senior mathematics is giving the students strong foundations on which they can build, in everyday life or further studies. Undoubtedly, relaxed and confident students are more receptive to the, often challenging, content of senior mathematics. Students are strongly encouraged to be curious and ask as many questions as they need to gain understanding. In addition, they need to develop a good work ethics and positive approach to their studies.
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In the current Queensland syllabus, mathematics is a fundamental part of students’ general education and a subject, which is an essential part of developing sound knowledge. Mathematics is recognised as a subject, which supports many facets of general education and daily life in an increasingly mathematical society. All of these aspects need to be reflected in “future-oriented” teaching and learning, in addition to the inclusion of technology in the
2. Summarise the national curriculum framework for mathematics incluging age –related expectations of learners as relevant to the setting
Mathematical understanding influences all areas of life from social to private and civil. Therefore maths education is widely believed to be the single most important aspect to establishing opportunities for young people; unfortunately, many struggle with mathematics and become indifferent as they continue to encounter obstacles with regard to engagement (Anthony & Walshaw, 2009). Knowing a
Essential aspects that underpin the professional and dedicated educator include the revising of knowledge and experience, reflection, and an effort in understanding their students. Within mathematics, these skills are informed by the curriculum chosen, the students involved, and the pedagogy that is selected, that create the professional judgement cycle (as seen in Appendix One) (Department of Education and Training Western Australia [DETWA], 2013a). The more teachers understand about their students, the more they can adapt the learning environment to cater for these different learning approaches (Burns, 2010).
My passion for mathematics was fixed at the age of ten, on the morning that my mathematics teacher told I would be sitting the Junior Maths Challenge, 'as practice for when you are older'. As I nervously started to answer the questions, a whole world began to open before me. I revelled in the problem solving, answering questions of a nature I had not seen before. My teachers were delighted when I emerged from the exam hungry for more. Since then I have consistently demonstrated my aptitude, achieving gold awards through to senior level, and scoring highly in the European Kangaroo.
The National curriculum states that in Mathematics teachers should use every relevant subject to develop pupils’ mathematical fluency. Confidence in numeracy and other mathematical skills is
Mathematical activities at Ysgol Dolafon are delivered in accordance with pupil’s individual needs and great deal of emphasis is given to continuity of learning. Ample opportunity is provided for pupils to discuss their understanding of concepts as they progress and teachers are aware of the importance of eliminating any gaps in the children’s mathematical knowledge. The Welsh Assembly Government guideline for Mathematical Development maintains that: ‘It is crucial that gaps in children’s mathematical learning are avoided, so that children do not miss out on essential elements in their understanding of mathematical concepts’ (WAG 2008) and Ysgol Dolafon fully agrees with that statement.
Geometry and Algebra are so crucial to the development of the world it is taught to every public high school in the United States, around 14.8 million teenagers each year (National Center for Education Statistics). Mathematics is the engine powering our world; our stocks, economy, technology, and science are all based off from math. Math is our universal and definite language “I was especially delighted with the mathematics, on account of the certitude and evidence of their reasonings.” (Rene Descartes, 1637).
Algebra is a critical aspect of mathematics which provides the means to calculate unknown values. According to Bednarz, Kieran and Lee (as cited in Chick & Harris, 2007), there are three basic concepts of simple algebra: the generalisation of patterns, the understanding of numerical laws and functional situations. The understanding of these concepts by children will have an enormous bearing on their future mathematical capacity. However, conveying these algebraic concepts to children can be difficult due to the abstract symbolic nature of the math that will initially be foreign to the children. Furthermore, each child’s ability to recall learned numerical laws is vital to their proficiency in problem solving and mathematical confidence. It is obvious that teaching algebra is not a simple task. Therefore, the importance of quality early exposure to fundamental algebraic concepts is of significant importance to allow all
students eyes to a world of mathematics that they never before could have even began to
Because of my enthusiasm for mathematics, I became the tutor for the Math Lab at Gardner-Webb. With this job, I am available to students struggling in one-hundred-level mathematics courses every week. This has allowed me to share my excitement for math. I focus on the problem-solving, almost puzzle-like aspect of mathematics and show students how fun solving problems could be. I share my passion for the subject with students who had the very opposite view of mathematics as me and, by the end of each semester, students began to have fun with the problems with me! My passion gives them motivation to persevere through their homework. My time in the Math Lab has helped me discover my value of passion in the classroom. I want to share my excitement for math with my students just like what I have done in the Math Lab. I have found that, if learners care for and like the subject they are learning about,
Mathematics has always been a difficult subject for students. Many children have developed phobias and barriers towards mathematics, which prevail into adulthood, thus limiting their potential. This limitation implies problems of learning, resulting in the child a sense of inferiority.
When planning unit outcomes, the Australian Curriculum, local context and needs of individual students are considered. This ensures relevant stakeholder interests are balanced and meaningful outcomes developed (Dowden, 2013). The Australian Curriculum, guided by the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, outlines the official mathematics curricula to ensure students are taught the required knowledge and skills needed is consulted initially (Dowden, 2013). This is important as the Australian Curriculum has been planned with future educational and employment goals
Mathematics is the one of the most important subjects in our daily life and in most human activities the knowledge of mathematics is important. In the rapidly changing world and in the era of technology, mathematics plays an essential role. To understand the mechanized world and match with the newly developing information technology knowledge in mathematics is vital. Mathematics is the mother of all sciences. Without the knowledge of mathematics, nothing is possible in the world. The world cannot progress without mathematics. Mathematics fulfills most of the human needs related to diverse aspects of everyday life. Mathematics has been accepted as significant element of formal education from ancient period to the present day. Mathematics has a very important role in the classroom not only because of the relevance of the syllabus material, but because of the reasoning processes the student can develop.
A philosophy of mathematics should be included in an excellent philosophy of education. A philosophy of mathematics should include your thoughts and ideas about what mathematics education is, what impact it has on society, the qualities that make a good teacher, a teacher’s role, research on the standards and instructional strategies, and ways to ensure student are able to learn mathematic concepts in your classroom. Each of these ideas should forever be evolving because we grow as teachers our thought and ideas will grow. I will be discussing my thoughts and ideas on what creates an excellent philosophy of mathematics.
In today’s society mathematics is a vital part of day-to-day life. No matter what a person is doing at home or at the workplace, he/she is constantly using different mathematics skills to simply function. Then what does this mean for mathematics education? When someone needs to utilize a skill every day then he/she needs a strong background in the skill. Therefore, today’s students need more than a just a working knowledge of mathematics or enough knowledge to pass a test. Today’s students need to understand how mathematics works and how to utilize mathematics skills in the best way possible.