How To Help Your Students Master Mathematics
No matter what grade level you teach, math is a subject that a majority of students dislike. Compared to other subjects, it’s not as straightforward and requires a more analytical type of thinking, which isn’t every student’s strong suit.
That means that as a teacher, you need to find new and unique ways to help your students master mathematics. If you leave them to their own devices, they won’t be very likely to come out on top. Here are some strategies that we think will be quite beneficial to your students.
Be Open To All Questions
One of the biggest challenges students face when it comes to math is the fear of asking questions. Sometimes they avoid it because they’re afraid of what others might think. Other times, they keep questions to themselves because they don’t want to disrupt your teachings.
The key to fixing this is to create an environment that encourages and even rewards questions, no matter how simple they might be. As the teacher, you must ensure that your responses don’t discourage the student or make them feel bad for asking. Plus, you’ll need to make sure that no other students make fun of the one who asked the question.
On top of that, when students ask thought-provoking questions, you should congratulate them. While basic understanding questions are the most important, these are great for furthering the knowledge of all your students, so be sure to encourage them as well.
Make Time for Extra Help
There will be times when some students just aren’t understanding the material and ask too many questions, though. When that happens, instead of rudely telling them to wait or speeding through the answer to move on, let them know in a caring way that you can help them one-on-one after the lesson.
You can set aside some time at the end of class or even schedule some time after school that day to go into more detail with them. If you put in the time to teach those who are struggling, they’ll be able to catch back up with the rest of the class in no time.
Use Relevant Examples
Examples are an essential part of explaining many math problems. However, too many teachers use examples that don’t resonate with the children. There’s a reason so many former students joke about the guy who had all the watermelons—the examples were just silly and unrealistic.
Even though coming up with an example that’s more relevant to your students might be a challenge, it will implant the lessons in a much more solid way. For example, back when it was more popular, many teachers used Fortnite in their math examples. Many students were much more willing to listen when the topic was something they were very passionate about.
Try Different Teaching Methods
One problem with teaching is getting stuck in your ways over the years. What might have been effective for students 5 or 10 years ago might no longer work with today’s youth. You’ll need to be open to new methods you might not have tried before.
One newer technique that many math teachers have been using lately is the gradual release method. The process here is actually quite simple:
Start by doing a problem on your own for the whole class to see.
Then do another one together as a class.
After that, split students into groups to work on a problem together.
Finally, have each student solve a problem entirely on their own.
This process starts students out in a large group that can bounce ideas off one another. As the group shrinks, they will start figuring out how to do these things on their own. Since many students get nervous about doing new problems independently, making the groups smaller over time helps make it less daunting.
Bring In an Outside Source
When it comes to math, the delivery of the materials is sometimes the biggest problem for students. That’s not to say your teaching style is boring, but when they hear new things every day from the same person, it can get a bit repetitive.
One thing you could try doing is having another math teacher go over the next new subject every so often. You should still be there to ensure that your kids understand the material, but hearing a new voice from a teacher who teaches things slightly differently than you could reinvigorate their interest.
If that’s simply not possible due to scheduling conflicts, you could always bring in a special guest. Assembly programs for schools are always a great option because they get students out of the classroom and show them difficult concepts in a much more fun and visual format. While this method tends to be better suited for younger kids, you never know what can help make a breakthrough for your students.
Actively Build Student Confidence
We’ve briefly touched on this concept already, but one of the best ways to help your students master math is to actively build their confidence. If someone doesn’t trust themselves to get a problem right, they most likely won’t. Giving up before you even begin rarely works out in the long run.
That’s why it’s up to you to foster that confidence in your students. Praise them when they succeed and encourage them to try again when they fail. Don’t just show them how to do the problem correctly; tell them that they’ve got this and are so close to nailing it. If your student knows for a fact that you’re confident in their abilities, they’ll start to believe in themselves on their own.
Avoid Heavy Reliance on Calculators
Don’t worry—we’re not about to tell you never to allow your students to use calculators, especially on tests. Our teachers couldn’t have been more wrong when they said that we would never have a calculator on us at all times in the real world. However, one thing they did get right is an over-reliance on them isn’t a good way to learn math.
When teaching core concepts of certain mathematical processes, it’s crucial to teach your students how to do these problems without a calculator. This will help them have a more in-depth understanding of how these problems work. Once they get it, you can reintroduce calculators, so they don’t have to waste their time solving overly-complex equations for the whole hour.
Do More Than Read From the Book
In the end, the best way to ensure that your students have the best chance of understanding the material is to do more than simply read through the book. You’re their teacher, after all, and they are in class for your insight and instructions. They can read the book on their own time if they want further information.
Of course, you can still use the book as a tool, but it’s your responsibility to take lessons a step further to ensure your students fully comprehend them. Fortunately, all the methods we’ve mentioned above are great starting points for doing just that.