Why do Teachers matter "most", and how do I plan to fill this role?
Part 1
The most important thing a teacher can do is to motivate students to learn. This includes getting them excited about the material, current events/research, and real-life applications of the subject area. In mathematics, students need motivation on why math is important in the real world. A basic level of mathematics (algebra in particular) is necessary to function in the adult world. However, in reality, most people do not use upper level mathematics in their daily lives. However, what mathematics does teach us, is how to think. Mathematics teaches us to think logically, and how to solve a problem. I use problem solving techniques all the time, particularily in project management, and even in household management. Motivating students to learn mathematics might be as simple as introducing the concepts in terms they already understand (like dollars/hour, and calculating their GPA as a weighted average). Then the students will see how math does help.
Don't forget about those of us who do use math in the real world. A solid mathematics understanding can open doors to advenerous careers in science, medicine, and engineering among all sorts of other professions.
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I like the concise assertion at the start. The purpose of education is learning. How many times do we get away from that in society?!?!? The real-life application component is also crucial as we try to relate with students. I would imagine this is especially important with math. While social studies I can just reference current events, the bill of rights, and voting, I would imagine it is more challenging in math. When we do worldview discussions or professional development, it always seems that everyone tells everyone to brainstorm this or dicuss this, but then stops and says its "okay if math does something else or thinks about a different issue."
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