Mathematics is typically seen as a “black-and-white” field of study-- it’s logical and there’s always a right answer. But isn’t there more than one way to solve a math problem? Aren’t there multiple ways to find a solution? Yes! And that is why there is always more than one way to teach mathematics. In my classroom, I use several different teaching strategies to teach math, including: collaborative groups, manipulatives, and real-life applications.
Collaborative groups is a teaching strategy I love for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it gets my students talking about the math they are working and interacting with. If students are able to talk about the mathematical concepts they are computing, they are understanding the concepts on a deeper level. They are also practicing their reasoning and verbal skills. Students are able to peer tutor one another and I am able to circulate the room and check-in with different groups and give them smaller group instruction or one-on-one instruction. Manipulatives help students conceptualize and work with mathematical concepts in a concrete fashion. Manipulatives come in several different forms, including card sorts, algebra tiles, and cut out shapes (as seen to the left), and appeal specifically to kinesthetic and visual learners. Manipulatives engage students and allow them to manipulate the concepts they are working with. They are given hands on experience and the opportunity to model their knowledge with these manipulatives.
Lastly, I like to connect the mathematical concepts I am teaching to real-life-scenarios. For example, while teaching a trigonometry unit and the basic sine, cosine, and tangent functions, I ask my students track the altitudes of different planes using their iPhones and Siri and then use the trigonometric functions to find their distance from their current location. It is simple applications like these that allow my students to see how what they are learning applies to their life and sparks their curiosity.
While some hold the belief that mathematics is a black and white field of study, I believe it is colorful. My classroom is colorful because of the way I allow my students to think and offer solutions, answers, and methods. The teaching strategies I use allow students to add color to my classroom. There is never a day where I simply stand at the front of the room and lecture for the entire class period. Students are always actively engaged and participating through different activities and assignments that use various teaching strategies including: collaborative groups, manipulatives, and real-life applications.