Reflecting On My Favourite And Least Favourite Math Courses

Hello,

For this next blog post I will be reflecting about an activity we did in class where we chose what our favourite class and least favourite class would be to teach, and we discussed it with those around us. At first I chose that my favourite class to teach would be one of the Grade 12 U level courses, because it's the most advanced level math and the students taking it would likely be “good” students as they are seeking to get into University.


When it came time to choose our least favourite class, I instantly thought about the LD level courses since I assumed it would be low level Math, and that the students in it would not be interested or engaged. However, as we discussed why we thought it would be our least favourite I began to see a new perspective on the course. My initial reaction that I would not like the material began to change, as we began to discuss how the material in the course is meant to be very applicable to real life. Whether that's learning about getting a mortgage or planning the finances behind a road trip, I began to see that this material would be more fun to teach then I initially expected, as it is easy to see how the students will benefit from what they're being taught.

It's fun to plan road trips in class and to use math to do it well

Also, as I just said while originally I may have not been interested in the students taking the course as they are not necessarily going to be pursuing future mathematics, through teaching the course I will have the opportunity to maybe even greater impact their learning. Typically those within the academic (or University) stream courses are better at self learning the material, where as in this class I would have to do an even better job of teaching in order to make sure the students learn. I think this would bring me great motivation for the class as I have the opportunity to make an even larger impact on these students. Not only that, but often times I will hear that students find what they learn not applicable, but through teaching a course such as this I will be able to see the students discover how the math they learn can be applied in various aspects of their life.

Thus through this activity and the discussion I had with others I have gained a much greater appreciation and interest in teaching Math courses that aren't just designed for those going to University, but for all the various streams of the Math courses.  

Comments

  1. I appreciate your honesty about your perspectives on the various math courses. It will be interesting to see how you feel about them once you've had more of an opportunity to explore them during a teaching block!

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