When I think
of a new teacher walking in to their first class, I imagine the students
pushing and prodding in an attempt to discover what the teacher’s boundaries
are. Without the proper response the
teacher could, in some cases, lose control of the class which would lead to an
inefficient teaching environment. I believe
that there is a certain way of confronting this problem. Dealing with an obstreperous class requires
the use of interesting materials and real world applications of my subject,
both taught with confidence and humor, and all wrapped up with an effective
assessment.
The
class that I would choose to teach is math.
The very first thing I would do would be to show them that math is used
in everything and attempt to tie it to them personally. I would walk into the class with a cart full
of small, seemingly inconsequential items and place them on my desk in a
somewhat firm manner so as to catch their attention. The items would be: a small engine, a piece
of wood work, a financial statement, a miniaturized rocket motor, and a fake
human heart. Next I would explain how
each item was created using math. The piece
of woodwork would be the easiest to explain as anyone can hack a piece of wood
into a resemblance of something but only those using precise measurements can
make something with both beauty and utility.
This explanation would lead into a discussion on how math is relevant in
everything.
The next
step in my master plan is the strategy that my teaching would revolve around. Knowing that math was a tool used to create
an item is one thing, but it needs to be connected to the students in a more personal
manner. After explaining how the carving
was created I would then proceed to ask the students what they plan on being
when they grow up. If it involves one of
the items on my desk I would explain how math is pertinent to that career. For example,
a mechanic needs to know about compression ratios, doctors would need to know
math in order to prescribe the correct dosage, and an accountant would need to
be able to use math in order to keep track of and/or invest money. If they asked about any other profession I would
explain how it uses math because as Mr. Escalante says in Stand and Deliver “Math is the great equalizer” (5), it is
universal and in everything.
The
following day would be a fieldtrip. The
purpose of this trip can be explained by a passage from Freire in which he says
“The outstanding characteristic of this narrative education, then, is the
sonority of words, not their transforming power. ‘Four times four is sixteen….’
The student records, memorizes, and repeats these phrases without realizing
what four times four really means.” (Freire 1)(3) Explaining an idea is all good and well but
hands on experience drives the lesson home and provides context. The first stop would be at a video game
design studio. Most everyone in this day
and age owns some sort of gaming console but doesn’t realize the amount of math
that goes into creating a game. I would
have an expert show them the process of mapping, which is how they make the
characters and objects in a game move along the x, y and z axes. The next stop would be a paintball
field. We would have some fun first then
I would explain how velocity and time equal the range of the paintball. The understanding of math in the real world
that this outing provides will have the students searching for math in other
everyday items and activities.
Now that
the outing is over we can move into the crux of the matter, which is the actual
teaching of math. There are a few ways
to go about teaching but the most important aspects involved are confidence and
humor. An example of how not to do it is
portrayed in the movie Chalk (1) by
the actor Mr. Lowrey. The scene I am referring
to is his first day. He walks in and
asks the students what comes to mind when they hear the word history, which
elicits blank stares and silence. The rest
of the class is filled with his stuttering, nervous, and unconfident attempt to
control the students and teach them history.
Now if you walk in to your class with confidence, speaking clearly and
laying down the rules in a clear and concise manner, then the students will have
more respect for you. The result of this
will be a more stable learning environment for the students. But what to do
about the monotony of school you ask?
Humor is
the answer. Humor and levity provide an
outlet for the stress that can accompany a student’s life. I think the best example of this one is Mr.
Keating in Dead Poets Society (2). He cracks a joke every once in a while but
his overall teaching style is light and exploratory instead of dull and
dreary. Especially the part where he introduces
himself with: “O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody?
Not a clue? It's from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in
this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you're slightly more
daring, O Captain my Captain.” (2) This
act makes Mr. Keating more approachable and removes some tension right off the
bat.
The
final ingredient in my plan is an assessment.
I need to ensure that I am teaching the students effectively and in
order to do that I must test them on their mathematical knowledge retention. Normally
this would be done with a paper test and a time limit while the teacher sits at
their desk and watches them. That is not
the way I would do it. Do you know why
pro athletes are so successful? It’s because
they are competitive and they get paid as a reward for doing well. I would bring that same aspect into my
classroom with a math-off (or some variation of a math competition). I would, of course, inform the students of
this competition in the beginning of the year and there would be quizzes interspersed
throughout the year but the competition would be the culmination. It would resemble most other competitions
where there are separate rounds and the winner of each would move on. The final heat would be between the top two
students in front of the rest with the winner receiving something like an
iPad. The prize and the competition
would ensure that the students practice and actually retain the knowledge
taught to them.
In
closing, I reiterate that in order to teach an obstreperous class you must have
a plan. That plan should include
materials that are relevant to your subject and examples of real world applications
that the students can connect with. Furthermore,
the subject must be taught with confidence and humor. And to complete the class an interactive and competitive
practical exam should be used that offers a reward. I am sure that there are many other strategies
and methods to be used but these are the ones that will have the best chance of
success. Success is the end goal in
education because as Sir Ken Robinson says ““It’s education that’s meant to
take us into this future that we can’t grasp.”(4)
Works cited:
1.
Chalk. Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Chris Mass, Troy
Schremmer. Gravitas Pictures, 2007.DVD
2.
Dead Poets
Society. Dir. Peter Weir. Perf. Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke. Touchstone
Pictures, 1989. DVD.
3.
Freire, Paolo.
Pedogogy of the Oppressed.
City: Continuum, 1970. Print.
4.
Robinson, Ken. “Ken Robinson says schools kill
creativity” Ted.com. February 2006.
Web. 03 December 2012
5.
Stand and
Deliver. Dir. Ramon Menendez. Perf. Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris.
American Playhouse, 1988. DVD.
