Student Interest

A key element in teaching mathematics is to make students actually WANT to be there. This means not only answering the age-old question “When am i gonna use this stuff?”, but also how to compete with life’s distractions which they encounter on a daily basis – many more in this age of social media than we did as students.

As a teacher, we must exude (real or fake) excitement about math every day.  If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, then you should be fired – with enthusiasm. Whether they like math or not, they are more likely to WANT to be there if they have to submit something and get something back every class meeting.  Feedback should and specific.

Present something every day that is not in the textbook or present a traditional topic in a new manner e.g video, practical application in your community.

Examples: Carpenters use the 3-4-5 right triangle and 5-12-13 right triangle every day in their work. Computer programmers use logic to write computer programs that drive websites on the Internet. Doctors use logic in diagnosing a patients illness. Math is all around us.