How to Teach Everyday Math Groups

Teaching math to everyday groups requires some tools.

Teaching everyday math groups can be challenging, but if you know your math, you can use a few tools to make the experience great for both you and your students. Take care in picking out a math book that students can relate to. Your math book should encompass everything that you want to teach, have some games that enhance problem-solving abilities, and you, as the teacher, should understand everything in the math text.

Things You'll Need

• Math book
• Black board or dry-erase board
• Paper and pencils

Instructions

1. Know your stuff. Show your enthusiasm to your math group. If you are teaching math, you know math, and probably like math. Let this show to your students. Many students think that there is no place for math in the "real world." Show them different ways math is used, such as with money, calculating times and dividing up Halloween candy. Think of creative ways to do this and demonstrate it to the class.

2. Teach problem-solving techniques instead of memorization. If a student learns to reason out an answer to a math problem, he might be able to solve other problems similar to the one he reasoned out. This will carry over into following years' teaching and learning. Problem solving is at the heart of mathematics, and if you teach your students to figure out solutions based on what they know, their math abilities will be much stronger.

3. Keep your goals in mind at all times. You want your students to do well and not be bored. Show them what math is good for in the real world. Make problem solving important by demonstrating it to the class on your chalkboard or dry-erase board. Let the class participate in problem solving by asking your students to solve math problems on the board.

4. Find good math games or puzzles that correspond to the math subject you are teaching. This will keep students interested. There are many math websites that have games available. If your class has access to a computer, this can be a great way for students to learn problem solving in a fun, personal way.

References

• Four habits of highly effective math teaching