Intuition- 1510

Let me introduce this blog. It is my journey through two classes on Teaching Math to Elementary Students. Now, I'm not saying I'm quite on the level with Ma Kettle but math does have a tendency to make me question myself. I like the idea of learning how to help kids reach an intrinsic understanding of the concepts of math. I did a lot of memorizing in school and not a lot of understanding. Often times I would remember what I needed for a test and then promptly flush it away, only to have to relearn it all over when I needed it.

I plan on teaching the younger grades with Kindergarten being my first choice. I love how the light turns on when they grasp a concept; it's clearly visible on their faces. One of the concepts from this weeks reading has to do with the acquisition of whole numbers and one to one correspondence. "The mathematics curriculum for the young child is built on everyday classroom experiences that exhibit one-to-one correspondence. For example, students record attendance on the attendance board by placing one token for each student present and use one-to-one correspondence to determine if anyone is absent." (O'Daffer et. al. 2008 p. 60) I like this idea of working these basic concepts into the daily routine. It takes math from being a subject students work on during one hour during the day to a language they weave into their experiences.

In my observations in the classroom, I have noticed that teachers have creative ways of "hiding" math in their classroom. One classroom I observed placed a new die cut leaf on the wall each day to measure how many days they had been in school. As the year progressed, the number line grew and they used it to practice skills like counting by 2's and 5's and 10's. The teacher had used a different color marker for the 10's so that they stood out.

Another interesting way to weave math into the daily routine was to use a math game called, "I have...who has...?" As a way to start off morning meeting. Each student received a card with a math equation based on what they were working on such as addition facts. As they read what they have they ask who has a number- everyone has to look at their problem and determine if they have the equation that equals that number. The game is set in order so that everyone will have their turn. A variation I observed during Valentines Day was creating half hearts with an equation that one student would say and the heart with the correct answer would step forward, they would place them together on the floor and give a welcome greeting to the other student.


Works Cited
O'Daffer, C. C. (2008). Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers. Boston: Pearson Education Inc. .