Battleground Schools was extremely thought-provoking as I stopped to consider my positionality for Mathematics. In terms of learning, I would advocate for a progressive approach. In doing so, students become more connected to the material, thereby enriching their education. However, upon considerable introspection, I believe my teaching style reflects more conservative methodologies. This stems from my instructors showcasing Mathematics as purely procedural, so I mirrored these algorithms when teaching as well. I began to consider how to become progressive in teaching, because I now see my overreliance for my students to shift to relational learning themselves, depriving them of deeper education. I do harbour a genuine passion for Mathematics, thus, I hope that by sincerely conveying these sentiments to my classroom, I can begin to diverge from conservative ways of teaching and instead focus on what makes it captivating.
By demonstrating my enthusiasm for Mathematics, I hope to change others’ disdain towards it. Battleground Schools mentions how the discontent centered around Mathematics required a reform of its teachings, and this intrigued me. I was always aware of the resentment held for Mathematics, so this made me question how I can enlighten my students, and destigmatize the study. It begins with showing copious amounts of fascination. To get others to care, one must show why they care to begin with. Otherwise, if students see that a teacher is disinterested, there is no motivation from both parties, and the course content loses relevance. For students to enjoy Mathematics, a teacher must love Mathematics, and only then will they start to question it.
Another compelling stance from Battleground Schools was its references to the skill level of the teachers themselves. During the three Mathematical revolutions, some of the teachers were not extremely versed in their practices, and I thoroughly empathized with this. This revelation caused me to question what constitutes a good teacher. Veritably, a well-informed teacher does not equate to an effective educator, as it does not translate to how they successfully guide their students. Most definitely, a certain level of fluency is required, or else this results in students lacking confidence in their mentor. Nonetheless, perfection should never be the primary objective, because flawlessness is not why students are here to learn. If students solely wanted excellence, AI would be their outlet. Therefore, as I also become a teacher with flaws, I want to demonstrate for my students why they should care for Mathematics instead.
No comments:
Post a Comment