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WhatDoesItMeanToTeachMorePowerfully?
RachelNail
MathMethodsSec.312:451:45
BrighamYoungUniversityIdaho
May4,2015
Childrenhavemanydifferentwaysoflearningandasateacher,itisimportanttoteach
theminthemostpowerfulwaypossible.Apowerfulwayofteachingisteachinginawaythat
studentsareabletoapplyprinciplestheylearntoeverydaylife.Sooftenstudentsdontreally
understandthesowhatofmath.Asteachers,itisaresponsibilitytoteachstudentsthesowhatto
themathprinciples,theyarelearning.Therearemanyarticlesthattalkaboutdifferentstrategies
forteachingchildreninthemostpowerfulway.Thereareseveralimportantpracticesofteaching
childrenpowerfully.Thesepracticesincludeaskinggoodquestions,differentiatingpractices,and
takeintoaccounttheindividualneedsofstudents.
(Gudmundson,2008)stated,Usingcarefullywordedquestions,youcanguideyour
studentsthroughadiscoveryexperience,whichwillhavefargreatereffectthanalecture
experience,inwhichateacherdumpsinformationonstudents.Whenstudentsaredirectedto
theirownexperiences,theylearnalotmoreinformationthanateachersimplylecturing.For
example,thelearningmodelatBrighamYoungUniversityIdahotherearethreestepsto
learning.
Studentslearnbycomingtoclasspreparedtolearn,thenteachingoneanother,throughclass
discussionandaskingquestions.Thethirdstepisbyponderingthethingstheyhavelearnedand
provingitthroughassessmentofmaterialandapplicationtoeverydaylife.Thiswayoflearning
ispowerfulbecausetheteacherissimplyafacilitatorofgreaterinstructionandthestudentsare
learningthrougheachotherandlearningcontinuesbeyondleavingschoolandgraduating.
Anotherpowerfulpracticeofteachingchildrenisdifferentiatingteachingpractices.
Tomlinson(August2000)said,Differentiationmeanstailoringinstructiontomeetindividual
needs.Whetherteachersdifferentiatecontent,process,products,orthelearningenvironment,the
useofongoingassessmentandflexiblegroupingmakesthisasuccessfulapproachto
instruction.Studentslearnbestwhenateacherunderstandsthebackgroundofthestudentand
applyprinciplestotheirlearning.Anexampleofthisisateacherfoundoutoneofherstudents
lovedeverythingaboutthetitanic.Shegavethestudentmathwordproblemsbasedonthetitanic
andrelatedhislearningtothethingsheliked.Teacherscandothisforstudentsandbaselearning
onthethingstheylikebest.Therearefourdifferentwaystodifferentiatinginstruction.This
differentiationincludescontent,process,products,andlearningenvironment.Contenttalks
aboutwhatisspecificallybeingtaught.Processisthethingsthataregoingtobedonetoget
there,projects,presentations,etc.Learningenvironmentisthesettinginwhichstudentsare
beingtaught.Tomlinson(August2000)stated,Whetherteachersdifferentiatecontent,process,
products,orthelearningenvironment,theuseofongoingassessmentandflexiblegrouping
makesthisasuccessfulapproachtoinstruction.Itissoimportantbecauseeverysinglestudent
isdifferentandtheyalllearndifferentways.Differentiatingpracticesisyetanotherwayof
makingteachingmorepowerfulthroughteachingtoneedsversusjustteachingcontent.
Anotherimportantpartofpowerfulteachingisreallyunderstandingyourstudents.
Tucker(2000)talksaboutdifferentimpairmentsthatstudentscanhave.Onesuchimpairmentis
alearningdisability.Tucker(2000,pp.20)says,Havingalearningdisabilityisnotthesameas
havinglowintelligence.Indeeditisnotatalluncommonforchildrenwithlearningdisabilitiesto
havehighintelligence.Theymayevenbegiftedand,atthesametime,learningdisabled.They
tendtobestronginsomeareasandweakinothers. Therearealsostudentswithvisualor
auditoryimpairments,aswellasphysicalimpairments.Whencreatinglessonplansforstudents,
itsimportanttotaketheseimpairmentsthatstudentshaveintoconsideration.Dontclassify
thembytheirdisabilitybuthelpeachindividualstudenttogainagoodunderstandingofthe
materialandbegenuinewithstudents.Reallycaringforstudentsiswhatmakesteaching
powerful.Studentsknowwhenateacherisgenuineandtheylovetheirjob.Bethekindof
teacherthatstudentslovebecausetheyfeelcaredfor.Thatiswhatbringspower.
IbelievetheseprinciplesaresomewhatsimilartothewaysthatIlearnedmath.Idont
trulyrememberalltheindividualprinciplesthatweretaughtandhowitwastaughtbutIdo
rememberhavingamathclassinwhichIstruggled.Thisclasswasgeometry.Myteacherwas
fromCanadaandhadaverythickaccent.Heclassifiedtheclassintosmartstudentsandnormal.
Thesmartstudentshadadifferentcolortestfromtheotherstudents.Oneparticulartimeinclass
IwastryingtocompleteanassignmentwhichIdidnotunderstand.IaskedforhelpandIwas
toldtoreadthedirections.Thedirectionswereanswereachquestioninthespaceprovided.The
directionsdidnotprovideanytypeofinstruction.Hedidkeepmeafteronedaytoexplain
something.ItmadesensebutIwaslateforthebustoswimteamandhadtofindmyownwayto
getthere.IalmostfailedtheclassbecauseIsimplydidnotunderstand.ItwasntuntilIwas
switchedfromtheclass,thatIbegantosucceed.Thisexperienceasastudentwasfrustrating.I
didntfeellikemyteachercaredaboutmysuccessandIalwaysfeltverylowintheclassbecause
hedividedtheclass.Hedidntseemtowanttohelpmeunderstandeither.Ididnthavethe
desire
tobebetterbecauseIwasntoneofthesmartstudents.Afterwritingthispaperandtalking
aboutthemorepowerfulwaystoteachstudents,IseethattherearemanywaysthatIcan
improveandtakethisexampleanduseitasthewayIwillnotteachmathinmyfuture
classroom.