After completing Math B30 in high school, I swore I would
never take another math class in my life. Math has always been a struggle for
me and I just could not grasp the concepts. The way I learn and know
information has always been in an analytical way. This way of knowing explains
why I always excelled in Social Studies and English classes. I could never just
accept a math formula or equation as being “just the way it is”. I remember giving
math teachers a hard time as I would always ask why a concept in math is the
way it is. They would always tell me it just is and please learn the process.
For a learner like me, I would have benefited from the progressive math
instruction style. Rather than leaving math as an arbitrary process,
progressive math instruction helps show students why a concept in math is the
way it is. This approach to math instruction should help students who have
struggled in the drill and practice method.
In relation to my past math struggles, I found it
strange that I have been providing math help at my co-op school this year. But
here is the great part; I am actually a pretty good math teacher! I think my
skill in helping students learn math can be attributed to my past math
struggles. Now as the teacher, I have to learn and understand the math for
myself as I am helping a student understand it. It is beneficial to the student
to be learning the math concept alongside the teacher. As I am coming to an
understanding, I am explaining my process for knowing the math concept. The
student is able to follow my process and then form their own understanding.
Interesting that we are often encouraged not to ask why and then encouraged to be curious in other areas. Learning alongside the students and making sense of the concepts is a much better way of learning than memorizing the facts.
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