Just kidding with the title. Well, sort of…..
Teaching math just doesn’t seem quite as important as of late. It’s not that I’m losing interest in my job or that I do not enjoy it, it just seems like there might be bigger fish to fry. From this class, past Matt classes and additional recent life experiences, I see more and more value in helping students with their social, emotional, and (look out Bonners Ferry) spiritual development. I believe teaching students about math is valuable to their future, but what may truly have a larger impact is instruction that develops their ability to be present in a moment, to treat each other with kindness and compassion , and to connect with their inner self and surrounding community. I want to help student learn to be genuinely happy and find the things with which they are most passionate. Ultimately, I would like students to leave my room with a better understanding of what I mean when I say:
Don’t ask the world what it needs. Find what makes you come alive and do that, because what the world needs is people that have come alive.
The problem is that secondary math education could be one of more difficult places to bring in this type of instruction. I can only image that reaction to meditating and discussing spiritualism in precalculus. It’s not that I’m fearing outside opinion and I’m not ready to complete change my profession, I am just not sure how to connect this with the math concepts I need to be teaching in math class in a fluid, meaningful way. Sure I could approach it from an extracurricular/outside of school format, as was done with laughter yoga, but I want it to be more center stage for all students.
I don’t expect anyone to offer a full response to this massive question in a blog response, although by all means try. But this has been on my mind more and more lately so I thought blogging about it seemed appropriate.
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Ryan,
ReplyDeleteTeachers do have the weight of the world on their shoulders it seems. The public looks to us as miracle makers with the youth of America. The truth is we are just people who enjoy working with children. We want them to be healthy, happy and safe. This is easier said than done. I have to remind myself that we are in the classroom to teach the whole child…tiny bits at a time. It is okay to throw some random thoughts of inner peace at them too!!!
M->Merry
A->Attitudes
T->Tower
H-> Higher
Well Ryan, math was a very stressful experience for me. I felt like I was an experiment for my high school teachers, I lacked confidence and skills. I rarely did well, and I passed. I have to wonder if my teachers had taken the time to see why I struggled and heard me out, maybe I would've tried or found value in it. If I could go back, I would want relaxation during math, who knows it probably would've increased attentiveness. I think there is a place for work, play, and relaxation in the classroom. Balancing it all may be the key. But, to me math class is the perfect place for relaxing if you want my advice.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Mera. I struggled in math, which is why I still hate it today. I did a quick journal search, and saw lots of articles on the importance of bringing spirituality to the classroom. That's kind of walking on a thin line as far as people thinking you are teaching religion, so you would need to make the distinction very clear. (Sources on that also exist.) You would need to make sure your students know why you are doing it, and give them options. Pretty much every job involves math in some way. You could have your students research their dream job and see how it ties to math. You could also do something like the FedEx days I brought up in Margaret's class: (let them have a day once in awhile for discovery learning about a topic of interest). I have also seen books about bringing social justice issues into math classes. That might be something to look into as well. Basically, what you are talking about can be worked into and justified in any class. This seems like something that is important to you. If that's true, you need to be willing to look for ways to do it. Since this is an area lacking in research, you may think about doing something about that. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteRyan,
ReplyDeleteI, too think it is part of my calling to not only teach the academics, but to educate the, "whole child" which can be a challenge. How can you help students achieve balance in math and in life? Just be you. Model the behavior like you probably already do. Want the kids to be happy? Be happy yourself! Want them to be exicited? Be excited! Want respect? Be respectful. What other words can we add? Insightful? passionate? All these are contagious and fairly easy to do. I don't know you very well, but from what I have observed, (special ed., sorry, we are always observing!) these seem like they wouldn't be that difficult for you. You appear to be very open, honest and fun. I wish that I had that when I took math. Maybe I would have paid more attention! I do know that in 5th grade I had a teacher who loved to show how to do long division. He was very animated and enthusiastic. Guess what I love to do? Guess why?
Think of math as a medium for teaching students about life Ryan. I won't get into my long sordid history with math because it isn't pretty (perhaps I'll share some of my story tomorrow), but I have realized within the past 10 years that I need more math in my life. The mathematical symmetry of fractals (which you alluded to yesterday), the beauty of chaos theory and it's associated mathematical analogs, and the power of simple experimental statistics have fascinated me and I have actually worked pretty diligently to become more "math literate". The logic, simplicity, and process of doing math requires a presence and engagement that is often lost in other subjects. Never underestimate the power and importance of teaching math creatively and showing how it applies to students' lives...my life would have been different if I had a teacher who helped me make those connections.
ReplyDelete