Strategies in Teaching Mathematics

   

This is one of the math posters I have inside my classroom. Perhaps later I could post the rest of the posters I personally made which are actually intended to motivate and boost my students' confidence in math.

      For the information of everybody (if there is everybody..hehe), I have been a Math teacher ever since I became a permanent teacher in my school. I really love teaching the subject because not only that it is challenging but I find it cool teaching a subject that even some experienced teachers would refuse to teach. Most of all, what I love about teaching math is that it is humbling. Humbling in a sense that most teachers sometimes feel that since they have been teaching a subject for almost forever, they tend to feel that they are the masters of their own subject. However in math, I find it very humbling because I love learning and solving math problems because it gives you a sense of competence and fulfillment if you solve a certain problem. But, no matter how "good" you are in math, there will always and will always be a certain problem that you will find difficult solving. This makes me humble that never will I be complacent about my ability. That to improve myself as a teacher, I also need not cease learning.
     I also reflected that math teachers aren't necessarily mathematicians. What makes a mathematician differ from a math teacher is that mathematicians can solve problems for themselves, but math teachers help others solve math problems. I know that mathematicians are super smart that they can actually solve problems themselves and for their own benefit. However, math teachers are those people who know math but has to relay this knowledge in way that others can comprehend so that others too can solve problems themselves.
    This is a lengthy introduction to my post about strategies in teaching math. I actually have shared these with my fellow teachers when I was assigned to be a resource speaker in my district. I hope you find these useful.

Concept Attainment Strategy

This strategy allows pupils to discover the essential attributes of a concept. It can enhance students’ skills in separating important from unimportant information; searching for patterns and making generalizations; and defining and explaining concepts.

Concept Formation Strategy

This strategy is used when you want the students to make connections between and among essential elements of the concept.

Graphic Organizers

These are pictorial ways of constructing knowledge and organizing information. They help the pupils convert and compress a lot of seemingly disjointed information into a structured, simple-to-read graphic display.

STAR Strategy

STAR is an example of an empirically validated (Maccini & Hughes, 2000; Maccini & Ruhl, 2000) first-letter mnemonic that can help students recall the sequential steps from familiar words used to help solve word problems involving integer numbers.

The steps for STAR include:

Search the word problem;

Translate the problem;

Answer the problem; and

Review the solution

Mnemonic Device

This is any learning technique that aids information retention. Mnemonics aim to translate information into a form that the human brain can retain better and even the process of applying this conversion might already aid the transfer of information to long-term memory.

E.g. A corner is 90-degree angle and a Corner is Complementary. A straight angle is 180 degrees and Supplementary angles are Straight angles.

Physical Response Task

Pupils answer/give correct response physically or through the use of body movements. This can also be used to explain geometrical figures and memorizing formulas.

Found Figures/Shape Hunt

Pupils identify different figures found in the environment. If possible, pupils themselves shot pictures of these figures found in their surroundings.

MATH BINGO

Pupils play BINGO using math concepts printed/written on the cards.

Picture Puzzles

Pupils form pictures by answering series of math problems/questions.

ANAGRAMS

Pupils form trivial words by answering series of math problems/questions.

Songs/Jingles

These help not only in understanding and remembering math concepts but make learning more fun.

Simulation

Pupils act or do a simulated scenario just as in the real world. This promotes real-life application of math concepts and skills.

Actually these are just some of the limitless ways in teaching math. I didn't even include block model approach here. But nevertheless, I hope you can find these applicable in your own classroom setting.

National Competency Based Teacher Standards

         

What is the relationship of this photo to NCBTS? I dunno either..joke.  Actually NCBTS is the framework of pre-service teacher education, teacher hiring and employment, teacher evaluation and promotion in the Philippines.

Defintion

        The NCBTS is an integrated theoretical framework that defines the different dimensions of effective teaching, where effective teaching means being able to help all types of students learn the different learning goals in the curriculum.

Rationale

      Filipino teachers often get mixed signals about what it means to be an effective teacher.  For example, they  may have been taught definitions of good  teaching by teacher educators in their pre-service education that seem to be  different from what their principals and supervisors expect in their schools.  Or  teachers are taught new teaching approaches that seem inconsistent with the Performance Appraisal System.  What is worse is when teachers who have the reputation of being ineffective teachers are promoted to higher ranks.

     The NCBTS provides a single framework that shall define effective teaching in all aspects of a teacher’s professional life and in all phases of teacher development.  The use of a single framework should minimize confusion about what effective teaching is.  The single framework should also provide a better guide for all teacher development programs and projects from the school-level up to the national level.

Recipients

     Anyone who is interested in improving teaching practices should refer to the NCBTS.  Thus, teacher education institutions shall use the NCBTS to design and implement effective pre-service teacher education curricula.  The PRC shall refer the NCBTS in designing the Licensure Exam for Teachers.  Organizations

and agencies that implement in-service education for teachers (INSET) shall refer to the NCBTS in developing their interventions.  Award-giving bodies shall refer to the NCBTS in defining their criteria for outstanding teachers.

     The DepED shall use the NCBTS in formulating its hiring, promotion, supervision, and other policies related to the teaching profession.  It shall also use the NCBTS to guide its INSET programs for teachers.   Most important, individual teachers in all the public elementary and high schools all over the country shall use the NCBTS for their professional development activities.

The Seven Domains

(1) social regard for learning

(2) learning environment

(3) diversity of learners

(4) curriculum

(5) planning, assessing, and reporting

(6) community linkages

(7) personal growth and development

Domain 1: Social Regard for Learning

“Can my students appreciate and model the value of learning through my interactions with them?”

The domain of Social Regard for Learning focuses on the ideal that teachers serve as positive and powerful role models of the values of the pursuit of learning and of the effort to learn, and that the teachers actions, statements, and different types of social interactions with students exemplify this ideal. 

Domain 2: Learning Environment

“Do I create a physical and social environment in class that allows my students to attain maximum learning?”

The domain of Learning Environment focuses on the importance of providing for a social and physical environment within which all students, regardless of their individual differences in learning, can engage the different learning activities and work towards attaining high standards of learning. 

Domain 3: Diversity of Learners

“Can I help my students learn whatever their capabilities, learning styles, cultural heritage, socio-economic backgrounds, and other differences are?”

The domain of Diversity of Learners emphasizes the ideal that teachers can facilitate the learning process in diverse types of learners, by first recognizing and respecting individual differences, then using knowledge 

about students’ differences to design diverse sets of learning activities to ensure that all students can attain appropriate learning goals. 

Domain 4: Curriculum

“Can my students understand and attain the goals of the curriculum through the various learning resources and activities I prepared?”

The domain of Curriculum refers to all elements of the teaching-learning process that work in convergence to 

help students attain high standards of learning and understanding of the curricular goals and objectives.  These 

elements include the teacher’s knowledge of subject matter, teachinglearning approaches and activities, instructional materials and learning resources. 

Domain 5: Planning, Assessing & Reporting

“Do I assess my students’ learning and knowledge using appropriate educational assessment procedures, and do I use the information from these assessment procedures in planning my teaching-learning activities for the students?”

The domain of Planning, Assessing and Reporting refers to the aligned use of assessment and planning activities to ensure that the teaching-learning activities are maximally appropriate to the students’ current knowledge and learning levels.  In particular, the domain focuses on the use of assessment data to plan and  revise teaching-learning plans, as well as the integration of formative assessment procedures in the plan and 

implementation of teaching-learning activities.

Domain 6: Community Linkages

“Are the goals and characteristics of the teaching-learning activities I implement relevant to the experiences, values and aspirations in my students’communities?”

The domain of Community Linkages focuses on the ideal that school activities are meaningfully linked to the experiences and aspirations of the students in their homes and communities.  Thus the domain focuses on teachers’ efforts directed at strengthening the links between school and community activities, particularly as these links help in the attainment of the curricular objectives.

Domain 7: Personal Growth and Professional Development

“Do my actions and statements indicate a high regard for the teaching profession and for my continuous development as a professional teacher?”

The domain of Personal Growth and Professional Development emphasizes the ideal that teachers value having a high personal regard, concern for professional development, and continuous improvement as teachers.

For more information and discussion you may refer to DepEd Primer.