I believe the first step to engaging students is by captivating their interest and building excitement. The general agreement I find among a majority of my students is that math is hard; and therefore not fun. Some of my students are not intrinsically motivated to learn about math, so my job as their math teacher is to pique their interest and show them the importance of their math education. The anticipatory sets I create, the questions I pose, and the class activities I incorporate into my lessons engage students, build curiosity, and exhibit that math is relevant to everyday life!
Before I introduce a new mathematical concept, I create a stimulating problem or simulation that builds into the lesson and piques my students’ interest. For example, when teaching about solving systems of equations by substitution, I use word problems. For example, recently I asked my students to take a field trip to a place of their choice and set up two equations based on the amount of students that took cars by solving the system graphically and then algebraically using substitution. My students were excited because they had a choice in where we traveled to and they easily saw the transition between solving systems of equations graphically versus algebraically. Another example of an anticipatory set I created consisted of one student throwing a ball overhand and underhand into a trash can, while another student attempted to catch the ball at its highest and lowest point, its maximum or minimum. Students easily saw the mathematical concept in action and were able to draw parallels to other areas of their life where they have seen maximums and minimums in real life. Anticipatory sets such as these intrigue my students and wake their brains up to learning about the beautiful world of math and see its everyday applications.
Another way I engage my students is through posing thought-provoking questions. Instead of simple yes or no questions, I love to ask “the why” question. Asking and helping students answer “the why” behind the mathematical concepts they are computing helps them understand the concepts on a deeper level. Their comprehension improves and their mathematical skills become more advanced. There is a difference behind being able to calculate correctly and understand why the calculations work. In fact, I believe in offering my students mathematical guidelines on how to solve problems, but then giving them the freedom to think it out on their own. What makes a student stand out in my eyes is their effort and mathematical reasoning behind their work, not just correct answers.
Lastly, I love to incorporate collaborative activities in my lessons. I believe that each student thinks about math different and students can learn from one another. By allowing students to work with one another, they are able to learn from one another. They can offer one other different approaches and methods. This builds their problem solving and communication skills and actively keeps them engaged. Engaging and supporting students in learning about mathematical concepts makes its way into my lessons through anticipatory sets, questions that challenge my students to think, and collaborative group activities.