Making it Count

As I reflect on my experiences as a student, I can definitely say that I am learning how to become a"new mathematics teacher". The reason I say this is because I don't remember ever having a mathematics teacher that took my interest or strentghs outside of their classroom into consideration in designnig their lesson. I have had mathematics classes that were engaging and I did have concepts that I could apply to my life outside of school, but the difference is I don't think my teacher had my particular likes and dislikes in mind when they designned the lesson. The engagement came because I enjoyed being able to meet the challenge. The confidence that it gave me to be successful in mathematics was motivation for me as a student.
As a teacher I feel that it is very important to make connections to students personally because it makes the learning tangible. In my classroom I try to provide these types of connections by creating my own real world examples and even re wording word problems from text books to cator to my students cultural backround. This approach I feel is affective because it can give students information that can carry with them outside of my classroom. I have had lessons where I have heard students say that there are going to shock their parents by showing them what they have learned. One student in particular mentioned that he would show his mother how to calculate the total cost of a sale item the next time they were out shopping. This is the type of genuine learning that is essential for true progress, because the application outside the classroom is what really counts. I feel that the purpose of education is provide students with the skills to survive and be productive citizens in society outside of the classroom. This can not happen if students feel that information learned in the classroom is totally detached from their lives outside of school.