Questions that educational jurisdictions ask themselves over and over again are: What kind of teachers make great math teachers? And, the answers to this question vary depending on which research you look at. It was believed that first and formost, having a degree in math was essential. However, even this is debatable. Teachers need to know the math they're teaching but even more so, they need to teach it in a way that students grasp it. There is much debate about this and ongoing studies, however, one thing is certain. Math is an opportunity gateway and our students deserve to learn math well from teachers who really know how to teach for understanding. See full article.
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Comments
What we need to start with is the manner in which children and young adults are being taught arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and to a lesser extent calculus, essentially mathematics in general. Having been just outside of the newer trends of teaching, I have an outsiders view. We are not teaching theses people to think for themselves anymore. Especially in math, I have made the observation that the current theme is that “It is better to know how to break down numbers, rather than to get the correct answer”. If you don’t believe me, just go to your local grocery store and pay your bill with a $100 dollar bill. I have not seen a single cashier under the age of 20 that can make the correct change with out laying all the bills out on the table and thinking through thinks like it is instructed in the TURK books. Almost anyone over the age of 25 can do this math in their head for several thousand dollars. We need to get back to the style of teaching (this applies to all subjects) that works, and makes students learn by forcing them to think. Too much emphasis has been placed on the national placement exams, rather than teaching students what they need to know to truly be our future. If we want to be a true world leader we must have the minds to do so, whether it is in science or math, art, literature, or even in music, we must catch up to the rest of the world, and if that means reverting ourselves to the teaching styles of the 1960’s then that is what we must do. Keep in mind that every where you look battle lines are being drawn in education and this country must step up and regain her once glorious self.
I do not think a math degree always makes a good math teacher. The way the math is taught is the main sore point in most curriculums. Teachers who have a master in math might be able to pass any math test put in front of them, but can they teach to the audience? If you can not put it on their level and in terms they understand then your math degree, to me, is useless for education purposes. The elementary level needs teachers that teach just math, ones that love it and can relate it to their level. This is the most impressionable age. If they have a teacher who does not like it then most of the time they will not like it either.
For all intents and purposes, math is a tool, not a goal unto itself.
Math without application has no use.
What goes into having a college (or graduate level) mathematics degree has no correlation whatsoever with the ability to teach middle school or high school (or even most college) math.
Arguably, those that have the best answers to “when are we ever gonna need this?” are engineers. By profession, we apply math and science to relevant problems; we’re more likely to incorporate relevant references into a lesson.