Welcome!

On the first day of class we introduced ourselves and talked about our previous experiences in Math, so I figured that I would start my welcome blog the same way. My name is Kevin Delov-Rogoza and my previous experience in math has been somewhat of an unpleasant one. I wouldn’t say that I hate math, there have just been points in my academic career where I have struggled with certain concepts and there have also been times where I have excelled. To sum up my Math experience I would say that my proficiency in math has been a roller coaster ride. Looking back on it, I can say that my struggles in math were not because I was lazy or uninterested. At times, my struggles were a result of the lack of availability for extra help and I also believe that I would have benefit more from the constructivist approach teachers are taking to teach math today.

            I do not want to put the blame on the teachers or the education system but sometimes students are unfortunately put in classes with over thirty students and there is not much of chance for teachers to help those that may require some additional support. Tutoring is an option but for some it may be too expensive to pay for math assistance. Therefore, I believe that it is imperative that schools have extra support services for students that may need additional assistance or that little push to get them in the right direction. Over the years my proficiency in math has slowly progressed with practice, patience, and confidence.

After the first class, I feel a lot more confident about teaching math. We learned that there have been changes to the Ontario Curriculum and students are now being educated with more of a cooperative approach in educating them and providing them with open-ended math questions so that students are able to cooperatively work on the problems. This will stimulate the student’s minds because they are going to ask questions and want to inquire to get a better understanding of the particular problem. It provides students with differentiated methods of learning so they are able actually understand the processes and steps to figure out a math problem and not just simple input a number into a calculator like the old way that students were taught.

Teachers are now teaching students to have a growth mindset and I believe that this is extremely important for the success of many young minds. It used to be okay for students to have fixed mindsets when it came to math. We would often hear many students say “ I’m not good at math” or “I hate math” and this would sometimes be openly accept by teachers, suggesting that maybe this student isn’t good at math? I would argue that as a teacher, I am responsible to install a growth mindset into my students. Suggesting that their abilities can be developed and improved upon through dedication and hard work.  I am looking forward to entering the minds of students and helping them develop into individuals with math mindsets!