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The title is mostly self-explanatory. How much math preparation do you think that teachers of elementary school (K-5) need to successfully teach their students? I have read the opinions of some that believe that the current amount of math preparation given at teacher colleges is inadequate and others (such as NCTQ, an organization I don't agree with often) say that teachers should have to pass a math content exam before receiving a license. What are your thoughts?
The title is mostly self-explanatory. How much math preparation do you think that teachers of elementary school (K-5) need to successfully teach their students? I have read the opinions of some that believe that the current amount of math preparation given at teacher colleges is inadequate and others (such as NCTQ, an organization I don't agree with often) say that teachers should have to pass a math content exam before receiving a license. What are your thoughts?
Do you think elementary teachers are morons?
This doesn't deserve a response. They take math in college, and because teachers at this grade level are generalists, they don't NEED calculus and all of that other stuff to teach basic math skills. They DO need to know HOW to present the material.
Your post is an insult to elementary teachers.
NCTQ is a propaganda outfit and has NO credibility. It believes anybody off the street can teach and wants to do away with licensure laws.
The title is mostly self-explanatory. How much math preparation do you think that teachers of elementary school (K-5) need to successfully teach their students? I have read the opinions of some that believe that the current amount of math preparation given at teacher colleges is inadequate and others (such as NCTQ, an organization I don't agree with often) say that teachers should have to pass a math content exam before receiving a license. What are your thoughts?
I think they should be able to pass a high school math test to get their license but I think their education should focus on teaching math not the math itself. I don't think elementary teachers need a high level of math. Through algebra ought to be enough. What's more important is understanding how kids learn math. My impression of the lower grades is that they teach kids to follow the leader...do what I do and out pops an answer with little to no understanding. As a result kids don't recognize when things apply in later classes.
If I taught the younger grades, I'd use Singapore math. Lots of story problems and algebra like solutions. Lots of different ways to process math. Dd#1 started Singapore math in 5th grade and jumped 2 grade levels in one year. Dd#2 started Singapore math in 2nd grade and ended up testing out of algebra when she transferred back to the local school district in 7th grade. They tested her because they thought her math education would have been poor because she went to a charter school. Talk about calling that one wrong. She's a Junior this year and has to go to the local community college next year because she's out of high school math classes to take.
I think the way we teach math in this country just sucks. We don't ask our kids to think. They're little parrots who spit out prerecorded algorithms AFTER someone else tells them what kind of problem they're dealing with. They have to have an algorithm to follow blindly. For example: I'll give my chemistry kids X/2 = 3/4 and they'll ask "Is this where we cross multiply and divide?". They'll convert the problem to 4X = 6 and then divide by 4 to get the X by itself instead of just multiplying each side by 2. If I solve this problem by multiplying each side by 2, they're left confused. They don't get what I did.
This doesn't deserve a response. They take math in college, and because teachers at this grade level are generalists, they don't NEED calculus and all of that other stuff to teach basic math skills. They DO need to know HOW to present the material.
Your post is an insult to elementary teachers.
NCTQ is a propaganda outfit and has NO credibility. It believes anybody off the street can teach and wants to do away with licensure laws.
Of course I don't think that elementary school teachers are morons. I have a lot of respect for what they do. And I'm not a big fan of the NCTQ. However the NCTM has also brought this issue to light and as a result a number of school districts have created an elementary mathematics specialist/coach position because of a perceived weakness (and phobia) in math amongst many elementary school teachers. Many states even have an official certification for elementary math specialists. Based on all of this, I don't think my question is disrespectful or irrelevant.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tonysam
The OP is insulting teachers by thinking they should take a ton of advanced math classes to be able to teach math at the elementary level.
All I'm suggesting is that maybe they should take a few more classes to better prepare them to teach math. These classes do not necessarily have to be more advanced in math content.
And I pose this question as a middle school math teacher myself, not some outsider that is here to bash teachers or teacher prep programs which I think are generally much better than the public is led to believe.
To say that you are bashing teachers would be the funniest thread out there.
I teach math up through Algebra 1 Honors at the middle school. I am flummoxed by the cavalier attitude by non mathematics teachers. I have heard, on more than one occasion, an elementary teacher say, "I don't know why I have to teach long division. I never use it and when I come across a problem that needs to be divided, I just use a calculator." Understanding long division and how to solve a problem using the algorithm is a cognitive gate keeper for understanding more advanced topics. I can't believe how many students make it to my class without even knowing their multiplication facts, let alone long division.
My principal regularly says, in staff meetings, I'm just one of those people that doesn't get math." I hear other teachers say it, or something similar, all the time. It makes me crazy. As if it's okay. I wonder how it would go over if I said, "You know, I just never been one of those alphabet people."
Rant over. To answer your question. I think every single teacher should should be able to pass college algebra. The college that I went to did not require it for non math teachers or elementary school teachers.
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Talk about calling that one wrong. She's a Junior this year and has to go to the local community college next year because she's out of high school math classes to take. 
