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TeachingTeaching Mathematics in Secondary Mathematics
{Math
{Math cards.jpg} Middle
Middle School
Mathematical Disposition: Many of my 8th grade students have lost of confidence in mathematics in not being sure of how to perform operations with subtracting, multiplying and dividing negative numbers. Most students have problems in communicating their understanding to peers. Many students come into the mathematics classroom with the face of defeat thinking they have already lost the battle of succeeding. I believe this is lost in translation over the years that learning math is not fun. Helping children learn mathematics addresses the challenge that students have in mathematical knowledge, skills, and confidence. Since mathematics is an essential aspect of today’s careers, students with a poor understanding of mathematics will have fewer opportunities to peruse higher levels of education and to compete for profitable employment. The foundation of mathematics focuses on the early years of a child’s education ranging from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. During these early stages of learning students confront the critical points of understanding the foundations of mathematical knowledge. When students memorize procedures, they fail to understand the deeper concepts that could make it easier to remember and apply what they learned. Applying is being able to formulate problems mathematically and devise strategies for solving them using concepts and procedures appropriately. The procedure of solving a problem is not useful unless the student recognizes when and where it does apply. In the classroom teachers assign routine problems, which can be solved with standard procedures but when the question is stated in a different way, the students must assess a way to understand and solve the problem
Social Development:Students enjoy talking about their extra curricular activities such as football, volleyball, cheer leading, step team, tennis, drama, band and other activities.The learning strand of engaging demonstrates viewing mathematics as sensible, useful and doable, if one works at the assignment willing to perform the work. If students view the idea that mathematics makes sense, they can learn it and use it both in school and outside the school. When a student breaks the mold of thinking of math skills as an inherited gene, one can have sufficient success and recognize the benefits of perseverance in skill development

Teaching Mathematics in Secondary Mathematics
{Math cards.jpg} Middle School
Mathematical Disposition: Many of my 8th grade students have lost of confidence in mathematics in not being sure of how to perform operations with subtracting, multiplying and dividing negative numbers. Most students have problems in communicating their understanding to peers. Many students come into the mathematics classroom with the face of defeat thinking they have already lost the battle of succeeding. I believe this is lost in translation over the years that learning math is not fun. Helping children learn mathematics addresses the challenge that students have in mathematical knowledge, skills, and confidence. Since mathematics is an essential aspect of today’s careers, students with a poor understanding of mathematics will have fewer opportunities to peruse higher levels of education and to compete for profitable employment. The foundation of mathematics focuses on the early years of a child’s education ranging from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. During these early stages of learning students confront the critical points of understanding the foundations of mathematical knowledge. When students memorize procedures, they fail to understand the deeper concepts that could make it easier to remember and apply what they learned. Applying is being able to formulate problems mathematically and devise strategies for solving them using concepts and procedures appropriately. The procedure of solving a problem is not useful unless the student recognizes when and where it does apply. In the classroom teachers assign routine problems, which can be solved with standard procedures but when the question is stated in a different way, the students must assess a way to understand and solve the problem
Social Development:Students enjoy talking about their extra curricular activities such as football, volleyball, cheer leading, step team, tennis, drama, band and other activities.The learning strand of engaging demonstrates viewing mathematics as sensible, useful and doable, if one works at the assignment willing to perform the work. If students view the idea that mathematics makes sense, they can learn it and use it both in school and outside the school. When a student breaks the mold of thinking of math skills as an inherited gene, one can have sufficient success and recognize the benefits of perseverance in skill development
Family and Community Context: My mentor teacher is very hands on with her students and parents when she assigns homework she encourages the class to email her with any question. If a student or parent emails her anytime before 9:00 at night she is sure to assist the student or parent. Many students do not have access to internet at home but the school as well as my teacher offers after school tutoring for three nights a week for how ever long the student can stay to get the assistance he or she may need. The school is located in a racially diverse community in Crowley, TX. The district was founded in the early 1980's with only Caucasian members on the executive board, faculty, and staff. The school district has only recently become racially and culturally integrated. The middle school is the ESL center for the entire school district. Students struggling with learning English commute from all over the Crowley school district attend this school. There is only one ESL teacher for the entire school and there are over 80 students in the program, creating a disproportionate student -teacher ratio that does not allow most students the attention or instruction they require. Much of the program's success is the result of the support that comes from the school's principal. She visits the classes weekly and works closely with the students in the ESL program and ensures that the teacher has proper resources including but not limited to digital translators and Rosetta Stone discs. Her vision and goal is a budget increase for the program and a learning environment with a 30:1 student teacher ratio within the next 8 yrs. Despite the low budget for the program, classrooms each have dry erase boards, 5 computers, and wireless projectors. The school has a unified dress code where all students are required to wear uniforms.