Fingers trembling, the student punches the buttons of the calculator. It would be easy for the student to say “I don’t know,” and hope that I, the teacher, move on to someone else. Slowly the student reads the calculator output. I listen, then smile. The relief flooding through the student is evident, along with something new—confidence. Inspiring student confidence in mathematics is why I became a teacher.
Many students have begun their middle school years with the mindset of “I am not a math person”. While I am responsible for teaching students the appropriate grade-level standards such as how to solve a linear equation or find the volume of a rectangular pyramid, I believe that it is more important to encourage student confidence levels to progress from “I can’t do math” to “I might be able to do some” to “I got this.” Often what helps with this mental shift are the lessons I teach that involve “real-world” math such as calculating interest or determining a unit price because these lessons answer the question of “When am I ever going to use this?” and are the application to the algorithms that we practice in class.
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The field of education changes frequently with new technology, new standards, and new students each year. To prepare and learn about these changes, I have taken classes during the summer offered by my district or through the state. In these classes I learn new ways for students to apply math along with current research and philosophies behind mathematics education. I have also pursued independent professional development through reading math magazines, blogs, and other publications. I believe earning a master’s degree is the next step for me to refine and enhance the skills and strategies I already have in teaching