Content: Teachers know the subjects they teach.
Teaching Connected Mathematics Program
I have been planning and teaching the Connected Mathematics Program (CMP) for my sixth grade classes at Sherman Middle School since mid-February. I will be finishing out the year teaching it as well.
Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment
The primary alignment that this artifact has is with standard # 1: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she or he teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils.
There is a lot of research that indicates the importance of content knowledge when teaching a particular subject. When a teacher has a high level of expertise in a given subject, he/she will have a stronger grasp on what it is that he/she is teaching. The connections to other disciplines and higher order concepts that are linked to the subject will also come easier when the teacher has a deeper understanding of the content. (Linda Darling-Hammond, 2002)
I scored a perfect on the math sections of both the PPST and the Praxis II tests. That speaks loudly to the fact that I have the needed content knowledge in math to form the foundation of becoming a good math teacher.
UW-Platteville School of Education Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Statement Alignment
KSD1.a. DEMONSTRATES KNOWLEDGE OF CONTENT AND PEDAGOGY
I have shown that I have the needed knowledge of mathematics to be an effective math teacher. I have also developed my skills at working on the patterns involved in the mathematics concepts without giving away the equations or shortcuts to getting the “answers.” A deeper understanding is developed when students coming up with the patterns themselves in a structured setting that is facilitated by the teacher. I have developed many of the pedagogical tools needed to help the students make these discoveries on their own and then introduce them to what the “rules” are for the given investigation.
What I learned about teaching
I have taught some lessons that involved content areas I wasn’t familiar with. I discovered that it was difficult setting up the learning environment in a coherent manner without having a good deal of background knowledge of the subject. I found that I would get stuck just thinking about the particulars of the lesson instead of the connections to real-world situations that would make the lesson meaningful to the students.
When I have planned out the Connected Mathematics lessons, I have had a strong sense of how it can integrate into the rest of the students’ life experiences. Math is a subject that is not liked by many of my students. They are always asking why they have to learn it. I have noticed a pattern that the students tune in much more when there are elements incorporated which directly tie into their experiences as middle school students or if the lessons involve fun activities. One of the times when they were the most engaged was during a lesson in which they were using square blocks to build rectangles of various configurations. They liked the hands-on aspect of the lesson. Another time they were quite engaged was when the lesson involved bills that they would have to pay at the restaurant and how to figure out how much of a tip to leave. They could see how it was useful knowledge they were learning as opposed to some abstract equation that had no direct relevance to them.
What I learned about myself
I have learned that I will need to make the important connections from the content to the students’ every day lives to obtain the most buy-in and engagement. It’s not always easy, especially with math, but it’s something that has to be done in order to become an effective teacher.
Darling-Hammond, Linda. (2002, September 6). Research and
rhetoric on teacher certification: A response to "Teacher Certification
Reconsidered," Education Policy Analysis Archives, 10(36). Retrieved
[April 17, 2007] from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n36.html .