Teachers nowadays are under a lot of pressure to make their classrooms more engaging. This can be a difficult task, especially if you're a Math teacher.
You have to be on the lookout for different ways to engage your students and make the classroom a fun place where the students can learn.
Once you have read these 7 tips, you should create an exciting learning environment for your students and make Mathematics a fun subject.
So without further ado, let's get started!
- Math Puzzles and Games
There is no secret that mathematics is a headache for students considering the number of symbols and formulas they need to remember. Furthermore, if you have trouble focusing, you are not going to learn anything.
To counter this, Math teachers need to develop different tactics to keep students in the learning zone.
One such way is by including Math puzzles and other games in their teaching.
You can offer quizzes and other online interactive content, including computer-based simulations, dynamic math problem-solving, online video games, etc.
Including these elements will help make the learning exciting, and we never forget what we learn with pleasure. - Visualization of Concepts
The use of visualization in the teaching and learning process helps in improving the critical thinking of students.
As a Math teacher, teaching a concept using images, videos, animations, flashcards, graphs, diagrams, etc., allows students to see the math problem from a different point of view. It leads to a better understanding of the subject.
Moreover, it also helps the teacher get insight into which concepts students are comfortable with and not.
It can be as simple as using colored pens on the whiteboard to explain concepts or using a picture of a circular pizza slice while talking about sectors. Get creative!
PRO Tip: Stories are a great way to capture the interest of your audience. For instance, you can talk about the Egyptian Pyramids and how they came to be while teaching geometry. - Communicate in their Language
As a Math teacher, you need to examine how to make the content relevant and relatable to your students.
The first step is making sure that the content of your lessons relates to what students need before they even know they need it.
Next, it is vital that this information is presented in a way that makes sense to them, or else they will find themselves disengaged very quickly.
This means that you need to talk in your students' language and include the terms or things from their world.
It can be as simple as teaching a concept like Statistics using the career stats of a sports athlete like Virat Kohli. You can also teach about success probability by learning the KD ratio in a shooting game.
Using these terms to express your concepts will lead them to respond better to your teachings and encourage participation. - Classroom Collaboration
Traditional classrooms involved one-way communication from the teacher towards the students. Over 60 minutes, you are bound to lose your audience's interest.
The best way to ensure that your students are with you for the duration is by opening the communication both ways.
One of the best ways is following the Golden Triangle Rule- Learn, Do, and Teach.
Your approach as a Math teacher is simple. You need to follow the trend- I do, we do, you do. First, you lead the way, then the students join in, and lastly, they lead the way.
When students teach others, everyone develops a better understanding of the subject as they experience different perspectives.
This approach helps build confidence and helps students build stronger bonds with classmates. - Classroom Feedback
As the adage goes, your vibe attracts your tribe. The energy you put out to your students directly reflects on the energies you receive.
For a Maths teacher, student feedback is critical.
This feedback is generally expressed through students' results and their class interaction. These parameters are directly related to their confidence.
As motivation plays a significant role in confidence, putting out positive affirmations lifts the morale of the students and drives them to perform better.
Using constructive criticism is one of the best tactics as it acknowledges positive actions and those requiring improvement.
For starters, if your student makes a mistake, you must point it out and help them understand what they can do to improve. Similarly, praise them when they perform well.
This helps them rise above the fear of being wrong and helps them express themselves better. - Discuss Student-Generated Problems
The first resource for students is the one they create themselves.
Students can put together problems and add their inputs, explanations, and examples. You could also have them create word problems for each other to solve collaboratively.
They can also take some of their work to the next level by answering questions, finding content that resonates with them, and coming up with creative solutions to the problems that they have created.
This helps in connecting math concepts with other subjects.
Students can use these problems to practice their math skills and challenge their teachers. On the contrary, the Math teacher can also post a little Good Will Hunting challenge. - Creative Activities
Students learn better when they can apply concepts creatively rather than just answering questions on a worksheet.
If they can imagine and design their problems based on what they learned, it will help them discover many applications for that concept.
For instance, if you teach them about constructing triangles, let them do it with paper clips or straws instead of just drawing one on their notebook.
This will encourage them to think critically and not simply memorize the steps that might lead them astray later on.
Conclusion
These were some of the techniques a Math teacher can use to engage his students better. If you incorporate these techniques into your classes, your students will reap the benefits and develop a profound understanding of the subject.
Simply speaking, the more you connect with your students, the more they will engage with you.
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