How to Teach High School Math

My friend Sara Bennett of Stop Homework, recently posted this TED talk on FaceBook. It is by high school math teacher, Dan Meyer, who says:

I sell a product to a market that doesn’t want it, but is forced by law to buy it, because I teach high school math.

I could give adults an Algebra 2 exam and would expect about a 25% pass rate.

The way we teach math in the US now insures students won’t retain it.

This is what he sees of students when they enter his classroom:

1. Lack of initiative

2. Lack of perseverance

3. Lack of retention

4. Aversion to word problems

5. Eagerness for formula

Watch the 12 minute video to see how he changes this in his classroom -- he gets to a place with his students where the math serves the conversation, the conversation doesn’t serve the math.

This is his advice for math teachers:

1. Use multimedia

2. Encourage student intuition

3. Ask the shortest question you can

4. Let students build the problem

5. Be less helpful

Math is the vocabulary for your own intuition. Parents, students, teachers must insist on better math curriculum. We need more patient problem solvers.

“The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill."

– Einstein

Any thoughts?

Thoughts from a Late, Great Coach and Teacher

John Wooden

This TED lecture from 2009 with John Wooden (educator and coach) is well worth 20 minutes of your time. Here are some highlights from it:

“My dad taught us that you should never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others, and never cease trying to be the best you can be.

I coined my own definition of success in 1934 when I was teaching at a small school in Indiana. Success is peace of mind attained only through self- satisfaction and knowing you made the effort of doing that which you are capable.

I hoped to give my youngsters whether in the English classroom or on a sport’s team something greater to aspire to than just a higher mark in the classroom or more points in an athletic contest.

Your reputation is what you are perceived to be, your character is what you really are and your character matters more.

My dad tried to teach us three things: don't whine, don't complain, and don't make excuses, just get out there and try to do your best.

‘No written word, no spoken plea, can teach our youth what they should be, nor all the books upon the shelves, it's what the teachers are themselves.’

Cervantes said, ‘the journey is better than the end.’ I like that. The journey as a coach was the fun for me, it was the practices. Sometimes when you get to the game it was a little bit of a let down. I never mentioned winning to my players. My idea is that you can lose when you outscore somebody in a game, and you can win when you've been outscored.

When a game is over and you see somebody who didn't know the outcome, I always say to my players, I hope they couldn’t tell by your actions what the score was. I hope you played to the best of your ability, and if you did then the result will be what it should be, not necessarily what you want it to be.”