Hello readers!
This week we talked about many ideas that struck me as important. I thought it was worth sharing what I learned this week!
Something that I found the most valuable was a Ted Talk we watched called “How to be good at math” by Jo Boaler. She talks about how we need to change the fundamentals in classrooms. Encouraging students to make mistakes, and allowing them the space to learn from those mistakes. She also discussed how a growth mindset is so important when it comes to learning. If a student believes that they can learn anything, they are more likely to grow from mistakes and take in knowledge. This point is so impactful, for me, as a future educator. This Ted Talk make me think about ways that I can promote a growth mindset in my classroom, and how I can reinforce the idea that making mistakes is okay, and even beneficial for learning. While watching this Ted Talk, I was taken back to my elementary school days. I was a student who did not understand math at all. I very much struggled with different concepts, and did not get good grades. I remember countless hours of studying and crying trying to make sense of my math homework. My mom always encouraged me, and when I got a bad mark on a math test, she would walk through the mistakes I made with me. She showed me and explained my mistakes, so I would learn from them. She promoted a growth mindset for me, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do for my students.
Ted Talk Referenced : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3icoSeGqQtY&vl=en
During our session today, we talked about an interesting reading called Mathematic for Teaching by Deborah Ball and Hyman Bass. Our class had a great discussion on whether or not it’s important to have a deep understanding of math, or if teacher’s should be able to teach and connect ideas rather than know the subject in detail. For me, this is difficult and I was frustrated as it has been quite a while since I have taken math, but that doesn’t mean I not going to be a good math teacher. For me, it’s important to understand the subject you’re teaching, but it’s also important to make connections with students and learn with them. I’m not going to know every single answer to the question they ask me, but it’s important I am honest with them, and am willing to learn alongside them. As a future teacher, it’s also important for me to recognize that students learn and show their work in different ways. As their teacher it is my job to try and understand their work and be okay that there are different ways of getting the answer. Not all students learn the same way, and that’s ok!
To summarize, there are a few main points I took our of today’s session:
· Promote a growth mindset
· Encourage students to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes
· Be able to unpack math concepts and ideas
· Learn with your students
· Recognize there are different learners, therefor different ways of getting to the correct answer
After today’s class, something I would like to explore further is ways to promote a growth mindset in any classroom! I think when students are in a growth mindset it can impact how they learn for the better. I am going to look into different strategies to help promote this in my classroom. I have provided a link for further information.
https://proudtobeprimary.com/teaching-a-growth-mindset-in-the-classroom/
https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/growth-mindset-in-students/
I hope you learned something from my post!
Until next time!
-Sydney
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