My Philosophical Background
As a teacher, I identify as an existentialist. This means that I highly value the individual and the importance of living authentically. I view as a stepping stone to the future, School is part of the journey, not the final destination. As educators, we are to provide students with options that will provide them with long-term success. With these options, students can then pick what is best for their life goal. Teaching is about empowering students for the long term, not just from Kinder to Senior year, and their journey of being a lifelong learner.
Strategies to Implement into the Classroom
1. Critical Thinking > Computational Math
I will forgo the traditional mathematics pedagogy of the past and instead implement the critical thinking aspects of math. One of the Eight Mathematical Practices is to "reason abstractly and quantitatively" (Standards for Mathematical Practice). Traditional mathematics focused more on the quantitatively, and while still important, reasoning abstractly is critical to lifelong learners. See the image of the Common Core centered Eight Mathematical Practices.
2. Group Collaboration
I will emphasize group collaboration in my classroom. This is an important life skill because the majority of careers involve teamwork. The classroom is a safe place to begin creating healthy team-centered work strategies. Students will be placed in heterogenous groups throughout the school year to gain experience working with students from diverse backgrounds, academic abilities, and learning styles. Lastly, it is important to remember: No man is an island.
3. Accountability
I will hold students accountable. This is a HUGE life skill. Accountability promotes a successful mindset and work ethic. I will hold students accountable for turning in assignments on time and completed to the best of their ability.
4. Use Debates in Math Class
I will occasionally host student-centered debates in my math classroom. One of the Eight Mathematical Practices (see image) is to "construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others" (Standards for Mathematical Practice). A practical way for this is to host a fifteen-twenty minute debate in the math classroom where students are given silent time to make observations on a provided concept. Next, students come together as a class to share observations and there is a dialogue about reasoning and a time for disagreements as well. The last step is to come together as a class and write a final conclusion. Student-centered and student-led debates enhance the classroom community and provide students with deeper understanding of the content (Sanchez, 2016). This is a practical life skill for students as they become diverse members of society. It is important to have our own thoughts and opinions, but then to engage in healthy dialogue with others whom may or may not agree with us.
5. Use P.O.P. Acronym to Persevere
I will use the P.O.P. acronym in my class as a tool for students to persevere (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010). The P.O.P. acronym is a mnemonic that stands for (P)roblem, (O)ptions, (P)lan. It can be used when students are stuck on a math problem, or a real-life situation. This acronym gives students the steps to overcome mental barriers that can prohibit perseverance.
Resources
As a teacher, I identify as an existentialist. This means that I highly value the individual and the importance of living authentically. I view as a stepping stone to the future, School is part of the journey, not the final destination. As educators, we are to provide students with options that will provide them with long-term success. With these options, students can then pick what is best for their life goal. Teaching is about empowering students for the long term, not just from Kinder to Senior year, and their journey of being a lifelong learner.
Strategies to Implement into the Classroom
1. Critical Thinking > Computational Math
I will forgo the traditional mathematics pedagogy of the past and instead implement the critical thinking aspects of math. One of the Eight Mathematical Practices is to "reason abstractly and quantitatively" (Standards for Mathematical Practice). Traditional mathematics focused more on the quantitatively, and while still important, reasoning abstractly is critical to lifelong learners. See the image of the Common Core centered Eight Mathematical Practices.
2. Group Collaboration
I will emphasize group collaboration in my classroom. This is an important life skill because the majority of careers involve teamwork. The classroom is a safe place to begin creating healthy team-centered work strategies. Students will be placed in heterogenous groups throughout the school year to gain experience working with students from diverse backgrounds, academic abilities, and learning styles. Lastly, it is important to remember: No man is an island.
3. Accountability
I will hold students accountable. This is a HUGE life skill. Accountability promotes a successful mindset and work ethic. I will hold students accountable for turning in assignments on time and completed to the best of their ability.
4. Use Debates in Math Class
I will occasionally host student-centered debates in my math classroom. One of the Eight Mathematical Practices (see image) is to "construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others" (Standards for Mathematical Practice). A practical way for this is to host a fifteen-twenty minute debate in the math classroom where students are given silent time to make observations on a provided concept. Next, students come together as a class to share observations and there is a dialogue about reasoning and a time for disagreements as well. The last step is to come together as a class and write a final conclusion. Student-centered and student-led debates enhance the classroom community and provide students with deeper understanding of the content (Sanchez, 2016). This is a practical life skill for students as they become diverse members of society. It is important to have our own thoughts and opinions, but then to engage in healthy dialogue with others whom may or may not agree with us.
5. Use P.O.P. Acronym to Persevere
I will use the P.O.P. acronym in my class as a tool for students to persevere (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010). The P.O.P. acronym is a mnemonic that stands for (P)roblem, (O)ptions, (P)lan. It can be used when students are stuck on a math problem, or a real-life situation. This acronym gives students the steps to overcome mental barriers that can prohibit perseverance.
Resources
- Sanchez, L. (2016, November 04). Debate in the Math Classroom to Spark Deeper Understanding. Lecture present at CMC-South Conference in Palm Spring Convention Center, Palm Springs.
- Standards for Mathematical Practice. (n.d.). Retrieved November 04, 2016, from http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/
- Villa, R.A. Thousand, J.S. & Nevin, A.I. (2010). Chapter 9: Students as Collaborators in Responsibility. Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin press, p. 171-188.