TMN3704
TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN THE INTERMEDIATE PHASE
DUE DATE: / 2020
, QUESTION 1:
Activity 2.2 (In Tutorial Letter 501)
According to Lambdin (2003:11) A teacher’s goal is to;
“Help learners understand Mathematics; yet understanding is something that one cannot teach
directly. No matter how kindly, clearly, patiently, or slowly teachers explain, they cannot make
learners understand”.
• Forget why students need to know and understand the Math:
“Why do we need to know this?” or “When will I ever use this in real life?” are questions asked
by students in the Maths class all the time. Lessons that fail didn’t adequately address these
imperative questions to Mathematics. When these questions are answered properly and
thoughtfully, it can provide a solid foundation for the rest of the lesson or even future lessons.
For example, instead of simply just telling the learners “You cannot divide by zero.” Explain to
them why we cannot divide by zero.
• Don’t customize the lesson:
There are many educational resources at our fingertips today. With all these copious amounts
of Mathematical textbooks and websites on the internet, it can be quite tempting to copy
someone else’s lesson, but you, as the teacher, have to remember; what works for one group,
might not work for another.
Different teachers have different approaches and this can show when you try to teach
someone else’s approach to the topic. This can confuse the learners or it might not capture
their attention as a normal lesson prepared by yourself would.
No one knows your learners and their abilities in the field better than their own teacher – a
lesson written and prepared by their own
• Avoid sloppy language:
A good math instruction isn’t just about correct calculations or procedures. To convey
mathematical ideas clearly, you need to model proper mathematical language for the students.
One can start by avoiding ambiguous phrases like “cancel” or “move to the other side”. We
also have to teach students how to concisely and precisely explain mathematical concepts so
that they don’t resort to saying, “You know what I mean.” Using language techniques familiar
to English teachers can improve student understanding of math vocabulary.
• Don’t tell students about math; rather allow them to explore and discover:
Instead of “telling” students how the mathematics work and what the answers are, allow the
learners to play with patterns and to explore the possible answers. The more students get to
play with hands-on manipulatives as they explore math, the more they will remember and
make deep connections between those patterns and the procedure that they will later learn.
• Avoid teaching students tricks and rhymes to help with memorization:
There are many “tips and tricks” to help with memorizing things, but instead a teacher needs
to explain the merits behind what they need to “memorize”, in order to develop a deep
understanding of the mathematical problem. While it’s entertaining to memorize rhymes and
poems, depending on them for precision in math class or anything close to actual learning is
far from ideal. Instead, spend time developing students’ understanding of numbers. Rather
than hiding behind tricks, teachers can give students confidence by teaching them the
concepts behind the mathematics.
In conclusion, a good math instruction helps students see how ideas connect logically, how math
relates to the real world and how these ideas can be clearly expressed.
1 STUDENT NO.: 62191411
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