Math Magic Teachers Hints, Problems

HINTS FOR MATH TEACHERS >

1. One problem, two problem

During tutoring sessions one of the most common complaints I hear is this:

"It looked so simple when the teacher/professor worked it on the board. Now that I’m trying to do it on my own I don’t have a clue what to do."

That is why I teach the way I teach.

When I am explaining how to work a problem, I work one on the overhead explaining every step as I go.

Then I write problem number two on the overhead and tell the students to work it out on their own.

It takes some patience on my part as I wait for them to finish.

Then I again work it out step-by-step, explaining every step as I go.

This time around, I am far more apt to get questions as to what I did and why I did it than with problem number one.

GRAPHING CONCEPTS AND STICK FIGURES

2. The Last Stumper Problem

Another thing I found tutoring, when we would get to one of the last problem assigned it was very often the stumper.

In desperation, I would ask my student to show me the teacher’s/professor's notes on that subject.

What I found more often that not was the notes were a hand written version of the explanation in the text....nothing more, nothing less.

That did neither the student nor me any good.

I don't bother rewriting the explanation in the text. The students are perfectly capable of reading that one their own, if the text is well written.

I explain the concept by working problems in the assignment, starting with the easy beginning problems and finishing with the far more difficult final problems.

That way I know I have covered everything the student will come up against in working the assignment at home.

With a little help from my stick figures students keep the math straight.

And don’t worry about the drawing ability. Students love it that they can draw better stick figures than you.