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If this is coming from a non-teacher, please understand that this is just the way it is in the places new teachers are most likely to find work. They stick us in the lowest paid and most challenging positions. Yes, I want to inspire people and get them interested in their subjects, but sometimes I can't bring the needed energy, and my students aren't motivated to begin with, for the most part. I try to use incentives, like treats and bonus points, and, although, it at least keeps them from complaining about me, but it's not really enough to get them interested in anything.
Where I work, students are dealing with all kinds of unmet needs that impede learning, such as being taken away from their parents and homes because their parents were judged "unfit" or are in the middle or custody battles. Some students come from families where there are drugs and alcohol abuse. Others have parents in prison or are in our care due to drug charges. There are a lot of challenging situations.
I was an OT in a county school that had a class of ED kids who were exactly the same as the kids you are "teaching". The teachers in the school were still good teachers, they still formed bonds with the kids, they didn't have to look at notes to know what reading level Johnny is in, they just know it from working with Johnny on a daily basis.
The kids liked the teacher before you, it's not the kids or the setting.
You are NOT a new teacher any longer, sorry you cannot keep using that. You graduated several years ago now and have been in a hundred different classrooms. You applied to a million places and did not get hired not because "that's the way it is with new teachers" it's because you make a poor impression on interviews, had unsuccessful student teaching experiences and have a poor record as a substitute, with a reputation for poor classroom management. Not one of the principals in the schools you subbed in would even consider you for a teaching position then or now. A math class is not going to change any of that, pass or fail.
Again, not trying to be mean, trying one last time to wake you up before your whole life goes by like this. You cannot trust your thought processes they are skewed, you need professional help and guidance. Not math!
Okay, but what do you want me to do about it? Give up? Right now, I'm using those jobs to keep a roof over my head, and I went to school to become a teacher. The students who would listen to me (I'll admit I haven't had many of those) actually had a pretty high opinion of me. I don't know if that counts as respect, but it counts as something, and maybe it means that I can do my job. Mostly, though, you are right. I get kids who couldn't care less about academics and need something I can't really provide. I think I am getting better at reading facial expressions, though.
The way I look at it, and maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but this seems to work, is people want to keep well qualified people around. The more certification you have, the more work you are qualified to do, and the more work you do the less likely you are to lose your job if anything happens. Plus, I feel like I need to stay busy. It keeps me from worrying about things I can't really change.
Give up math, YES. Spend the money and time on daily living and communication skills, classroom management and whatever other BASIC teaching skills you lack, which are numerous. These are the only skills that are going to make one whit of difference on your employment prospects.
I always tell my students that you cannot learn chemistry, which is mostly just applied algebra 1 at the introductory level, by reading about it or watching me do it. You have to do it yourself. Making outlines, using flashcards, rewriting notes, etc. are amazingly useless. The way you study for chemistry (or math) is by working problems. You start with easy ones and work towards hard ones. I have students coming into my office, practically in tears, complaining that they studied for 30 hours and still got an F on the test. I ask them "How were you able to complete the practice problems that I assigned?" and they say that they didn't have time to do them because they were studying too much.
This is 5th grade math about ratio. I learned that 25 years ago in Hong Kong primary school. Let's assume apple is $1. Then the cost of any fruit is 2. Price for banana is 2/3. Price for cherry is 2/4=1/2. Price ratio = 1 : 2/3 : 1/2. Find the common denominator of 2 and 3, get 6. Then price ratio = 6*1 : 6*2/3 : 6*1/2 = 6 : 4 : 3
My son starts middle school this week. I showed him this one. He solved it in 15 seconds. He said he knows a shortcut for that.
My son pointed out there is an error. 2 and 3 are whole numbers. They have a common denominator "1". I should have said, "find the least common multiple of 2 and 3, get 6". Or "the lowest common denominator of 2/3 and 1/2 is 6".
Interesting how you solved that. (I was taught by a physicist, and I always joked with him that he solved problems 'backwards'). First thing I did was look for the least common multiple of 2, 3 and 4... since 4 is a multiple of 2, then all I care about is 3 and 4. 3x4 = 12, so the ratio is 12/2 :12/3 : 12/4, which, when reduced from improper fractions is 6 : 4: 3. Same result, just solved 'upside down'.
That is the only way I could think of. I did it in a minute or 2. It could take me much longer if I have not practiced many fraction and ratio word problems with my son last year. Your solution is much better. Thanks for sharing.
That is the only way I could think of. I did it in a minute or 2. It could take me much longer if I have not practiced many fraction and ratio word problems with my son last year. Your solution is much better. Thanks for sharing.
Actually, you/he solved it fine, in an easier way than I did (and thus a better technique for teaching someone how to do it), so thank you for sharing
As a teacher both in and out of my areas of competency, I will caution you not to teach kids unless you know they will be totally absorbed in the subject.
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Now, adult learners on the other hand, are a different story. Adults typically bring a lot more motivation and enthusiasm to the table. If you go into teaching, teach adults.
I've taught Spanish at the college level for the better part of the last 8 years. Unmotivated and unenthusiastic students exist no matter the age group, especially if they're taking a course solely to fulfill a requirement.
Give up math, YES. Spend the money and time on daily living and communication skills, classroom management and whatever other BASIC teaching skills you lack, which are numerous. These are the only skills that are going to make one whit of difference on your employment prospects.
Maybe I am a little behind the curve, but many of my professor's students complained about the online quizzes being difficult, and those are what I'm struggling with. I think rather than giving up, I'm going to hire a good tutor and practice doing more math problems. I'm bad in math when I'm taking a class in it, but I've taught math to younger kids, so I'm not that bad in it in general. (By the way, I showed that fifth grade math problem that another poster posted to a bright classmate of mine, and she couldn't solve it, either, so, no, I don't think it's a fair measure of aptitude.) You have to have experience doing something before you know whether you are good at it or not, and around here our secondary school math education wasn't really that good if mine was like everyone else's, so we're all working with what we have. It doesn't mean we can't catch up.
Personally, I like working the math problems and finding out what they mean. Yes, I'm a little slow to catch on and learning all of the material is challenging, and I doubt I'm really going to do well on the exam, but the professor said that she was willing to work with us. She's even offered to work out sample problems on the study guide so that we know exactly what to do. I'm happy that the teacher doesn't want us to fail. I think I'm going to stick with this class. I am understanding it, and even though it's frustrating, it's also oddly fun at times.
I was an OT in a county school that had a class of ED kids who were exactly the same as the kids you are "teaching". The teachers in the school were still good teachers, they still formed bonds with the kids, they didn't have to look at notes to know what reading level Johnny is in, they just know it from working with Johnny on a daily basis.
The kids liked the teacher before you, it's not the kids or the setting.
You are NOT a new teacher any longer, sorry you cannot keep using that. You graduated several years ago now and have been in a hundred different classrooms. You applied to a million places and did not get hired not because "that's the way it is with new teachers" it's because you make a poor impression on interviews, had unsuccessful student teaching experiences and have a poor record as a substitute, with a reputation for poor classroom management. Not one of the principals in the schools you subbed in would even consider you for a teaching position then or now. A math class is not going to change any of that, pass or fail.
Again, not trying to be mean, trying one last time to wake you up before your whole life goes by like this. You cannot trust your thought processes they are skewed, you need professional help and guidance. Not math!
You are really exaggerating. I guess working with people with autism is different than having it yourself. I don't think you've tried to put yourself in an ASD sufferer's shoes. Your comments seem so impersonal. Yeah, it may be that my approach might not work for anyone else. They do say, "if you've met one person with ASD, well, you've met one person with ASD." We don't all think alike. We have deficits and strengths in a myriad of different areas. Yes, there are areas of math that I do terribly in, but there are also areas that I thoroughly enjoy and am good at, somewhat. Now, can I tease those areas out and strengthen them? If I can, I can probably get as good at certain kinds of math as with any other subject. I am seeing benefits. For one, I'm getting more social interaction with people around my age than I normally do. I'm unabashedly asking to form study groups, and, hey, talking to random strangers and asking to study with them is something I seldom if ever do. It's fun, though, even though my classmates typically pick up more than I do. I also usually don't struggle academically, so taking a math class is helping me see people, maybe academically challenged people, in a bit of a different light. I admit sometimes math is hard for me, and I'm very slow at it. For some people, academic deficits can be found in reading and language. I get that people struggle, because I'm struggling, so I at least feel like I can be kinder to them and notice their failings may be due to how their brains work. It's a different perspective that you might not appreciate if you stay in your area of competency all of the time, and I'm thankful for it. I also think I'm getting the opportunity to practice worthwhile organization, time management, and soft skills (deficits I have in many areas of my life). In order to do well, I need to (1) study and practice problems every day (this requires me to develop better time management skills), (2) take very good notes (this requires me to get better at organization), (3) make friends of my classmates and study with them (this is social interaction, not something I consider myself good at; I've been getting coffee and studying with my classmates in the library. This has been a refreshing change to my routine), (4) find a good tutor to help me catch up on deficits (again, I'm challenging my ASD by confronting the perfectionism. I'm admitting that it's okay to admit that I need help). Also, (5) I'm not giving myself enough time to obsess over negative thoughts (so less time to ruminate on OCD). I think this math class, is, in a weird way, just what the doctor ordered.
I'm also thinking that maybe improving my spatial understanding (or just completing a difficult task) might improve my ability in other important areas. Like, I might learn how to keep my residence and classroom neat, or I might start dressing better (organizational and time management skills).
Have you ever seriously looked at the requirements for a degree in math? They are far more extensive than trigonometry. In fact, trig isn't even a start for the degree. The assumption is that you are long past that, really its a high school course.
I have 2 degrees in math, a BA in math/physics, MS in applied math. That was many years ago but even then I took trig in high school. And the degree requirements then were very similar to whats required today. I took courses in differential and integral calculus, multivariate calculus, differential equations. Plus linear algebra. And those were just the start, the basic department requirements so to speak. Very tough to get thru those quickly (in 2 years or less) if you aren't taking calculus as a first year student and you expect to graduate on time.
Then there are core math courses that are required at least by most reputable university math departments. These are Very difficult courses is various topics. Like analysis (advanced calculus in my day), I took 2 courses in that. And other equally difficult courses in other mathematical areas such as abstract algebra (primarily group theory). And these two fields (plus more) are all required for the degree. And add in additional math electives, I substituted advanced physics courses for those electives in things like relativity and quantum mechanics. You are truly dreaming if you think that the more advanced courses are easier or slower paced than the entry level courses.
I don't know. You might struggle thru and maybe get a degree in math education (much less rigorous) but I doubt very seriously that you'd get through the standard math degree program (as described above). That requires a lot of work as well as an interest and ability in math to do so. At least that was my experience.
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