Why Am I Writing About Math Instruction?
Today, I am beginning a math series for my blog. The next few posts I put up are going to be written from my 19 years as a classroom teacher. Although, they will sound like they are written for teachers in a classroom I am posting them because I know math is the area that stresses out many homeschool parents.
Too many parents believe they can’t teach their kids math
and therefore, rely on a boxed curriculum to tell them what their kids need to do. They rely on workbook pages and spend money on these as well as math tutors, apps or virtual instruction because they don’t feel competent to take this content on by themselves.
As an elementary teacher, one of my hugest frustrations
was that we were given a boxed math curriculum that often did not fit our students. In many cases the curriculum was actually awful. The workbook pages were confusing, the content was uninspiring, it came with videos that were silly and it was a one size fits all approach to instruction. I was told that I had to follow the curriculum and use what was given to me unmodified. So, with this series I am encouraging parents not to make the same mistake our schools are making. Do not rely on a curriculum that more than likely does not fit your child’s needs and is uninspiring. It may even be subpar quality with errors and confusing explanations.
Instead, try to build your own capacity in mathematical understanding
Invest in finding some great resources that teach you the concepts you have gaps in. I assure you that most adults have holes in their math understanding. That is a result of the poor math instruction that has been taking place in this country throughout history. As a teacher, I had many gaps in my own math concepts. I stumbled on a great Pinterest post which took me down a rabbit hole called Number Talks. This was a game changer for me. I left the pages of my district approved textbook and learned from the National Math Council, Marilyn Burns, and authors who put out great material on Number Talks, math centers, math games and interestingly enough the New York State math modules. These were written in the wake of the Common Core Standards which, is very controversial but, these modules helped me learn concepts I had missed as a child.
As my capacity grew I became a much better math teacher
I was able to ditch the curriculum and apply what I was supposed to teach in more creative ways. I was able to get flexible in teaching and break down strategies that were a better fit for each kid. You can do that too parents! As homeschoolers, take some time to build your own capacity. Even if you lean more towards unschooling, as do I, once you have a strong base in mathematical understanding you will recognize opportunities when math comes up naturally much more often. Let me be one of those resources for you, that tool that helps you build on your own knowledge and teach your kids effectively. Keep reading this series HERE and HERE for more info!