My greatest learning...

My greatest “learning” this semester has to be the realization that making mathematics fun, and engaging doesn’t have to be a complex and time consuming task. Some of the activities we completed throughout the year, including the “math fair” along with the peer teaching assignment, provided excellent opportunities to make math fun, rather than boring and monotonous. I’ll definitely be utilizing the math fair idea in my own classroom one day due to its engaging nature and accessibility. Even some of the day-to-day activities we completed in class (if 5 is the answer, what are the solutions?) made me rethink my mindset regarding mathematics and how important creativity really is, rather than rote memorization. When we first started this class I was under the impression we’d be learning how to teach math the way I was taught math – pencil and paper tests, pop quizzes, times tables, and all that good stuff. When I think about it now, I’m still not 100% confident in my ability to teach fractions or long division, however, I am confident in my ability to keep students engaged and interested in mathematics. The fact that we didn’t focus on teaching those skills had me a bit puzzled at first, but taking what I learned in this course and combining it with what I’ll learn on my internship should prepare me for any challenges I’ll face (in mathematics, at least). All in all, I had a great time in the course; it provided a refreshing change of pace from the normal lecture style of other profs, and that I’m thankful for. Having a teacher who can acknowledge the fact that certain times of the semester are hectic for students was also a great help. Because of this course, I now have at least a little faith in future of mathematics, and I’m excited to be a part of it.