HOW TO STOP YOUR STUDENTS FROM SAYING THEY ARE NOT GOOD AT MATHEMATICS
By Christina Morris
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CG50 , comes highly recommended . If you teach older students , then this is a must have , for your classroom . This superb calculator is approved for use in international examinations , such as SAT and AB , as well as American IB and Sabis . Students can become familiar with the Casio fx-CG50 , while doing their class work , in readiness for their examinations . They can take it along , to the examination room and benefit from using its wide range of efficient and dedicated functions . These include ; Spreadsheet Calculations , Vector Calculations , Auto Parenthesis Addition , Financial Functions , Probability Calculation , List-based Statistics , Advanced Statistics , Inequality Graphing and Picture Plot , where users can create their own graphs over pictures displayed on the colour LCD by bringing real life to Math . To learn more about it ’ s functions and features , follow this link http :// edu . casio . com / products / graphic /.
It is the start of a new school year , and chances are , you are about to welcome a whole new set of students to your Mathematics classroom . These students are coming from various teachers , or even schools and it is your job to get them to make progress in Mathematics and ultimately fall in love with the subject . The problem you may encounter is that , some students may have already formed a negative impression of the subject and are only too happy to tell you that they are not good at Mathematics . Some may even say it with pride , the type of pride they would never exude , when saying they have trouble writing or spelling .
For some reason , students are ashamed to say that they cannot write or spell properly , but they seem very comfortable , in saying that they cannot do Mathematics . Well , it is time for this to stop , and it starts with you . Below are my top three tips , on how you can help your students to make better than expected progress , in Mathematics , this year and eventually get them to love the subject .
1 . Let them talk it out
The days of the silent classroom , in which students work individually , on solving Mathematical problems , is well and truly over . Allow your students to talk to each other , about how to solve the problems , let them collaborate and come up with their own methods . This will allow your shy struggling student to get help from peers . Instead of asking your students to write their answers down , get them to stand up and explain to the class how they solved the problem , the difficulties they faced and what they did to overcome them . Give marks for the correct answer , but also give marks for good oral presentations and explanations . Who says that presentation skills cannot be developed in a Mathematics classroom ?
2 . Get the right equipment
There are a ton of Mathematical apps , games and websites that your students can benefit from , but nothing beats a good calculator , and the Casio fx-
3 . Throw out the traditional Mathematics tests
Many students find the prospect of sitting for an hour or more , working on abstract mathematical problems quite daunting . Throw out the traditional Mathematics tests and get your students to go around the school or their homes , applying mathematical theories , to solve real problems . Let them calculate things that affect their lives or the lives of their loved ones .
For example , get them to find out and calculate the average amount of hours each person in their family spends on social media each day , I bet the answer would shock them .
Mathematics teachers , you don ’ t have to reinvent the wheel . There are excellent online and offline resources . Many sites offer games , maths puzzles , maths riddles and simple but exciting maths problems . The key is to keep on being innovative in the Mathematics classroom .
Class Time | | Sep - Oct 2017 | 19