My Philosophy
As a teacher I encourage curiosity. I emphasize patient problem solving and independent thinking regarding procedural development. My daily goal is to engage students with problems that stimulate intellectual curiosity and elicit analytical thinking. A well-taught mathematics class should reach far beyond reinforcing procedural skills and practicing algorithms; it invites students to not only discover the problem, but also to develop well-reasoned methods to reach a solution. For my students, mathematics becomes a vehicle for practicing teamwork and growing reasoning skills that support development beyond the classroom.
Daily Lesson and Unit Structure
Each lesson should begin with the goal of the perfect hook. The perfect hook simply gets students excited about THINKING by...
1. inspiring curiosity
2. creating a connection that students can relate to and build knowledge from
3. initiating dialogue in the classroom
*Dan Meyer explaining the purpose of the hook
As a teacher I encourage curiosity. I emphasize patient problem solving and independent thinking regarding procedural development. My daily goal is to engage students with problems that stimulate intellectual curiosity and elicit analytical thinking. A well-taught mathematics class should reach far beyond reinforcing procedural skills and practicing algorithms; it invites students to not only discover the problem, but also to develop well-reasoned methods to reach a solution. For my students, mathematics becomes a vehicle for practicing teamwork and growing reasoning skills that support development beyond the classroom.
Daily Lesson and Unit Structure
Each lesson should begin with the goal of the perfect hook. The perfect hook simply gets students excited about THINKING by...
1. inspiring curiosity
2. creating a connection that students can relate to and build knowledge from
3. initiating dialogue in the classroom
*Dan Meyer explaining the purpose of the hook
So class starts a bit "messy" and informal as students fumble, play, guess, and discuss the hook. The hook allows the students to gain a connection and conceptual understanding of the material. As students formalize their observations and connections, the class also transitions into a more formal setting of notes. The notes are based off students' conclusions, but still structured in order to consolidate and organize the mathematics observed. Students can show their understanding of their technical skills through practice problems.
After the students have a solid understanding of each lesson in the unit, they extend what they have learned into a project. The project is a medium for them to use their new knowledge to creatively problem solve in a hands on environment while make connections to other academic disciplines.
After the students have a solid understanding of each lesson in the unit, they extend what they have learned into a project. The project is a medium for them to use their new knowledge to creatively problem solve in a hands on environment while make connections to other academic disciplines.