On the Love of Learning?

I love math and all things related. I find articles discussing applications of math in science, economics, medicine, you name it, interesting. I love reading about famous mathematicians and scientists and the breakthroughs they have made. I love math jokes. I pretty much love all things related to math, science and technology. I also love my wife, teaching, biking, food, photography, philosophy, reading, computers...and lots of other stuff. What I mean by "love" is that I always find exploring new ideas interesting, I always want to do and learn more, not just while I am at school "working", but all the time. Honestly, I don't really differentiate between "work" and "non-work", it is all one big continuum. It is impossible to just turn off one and turn on the other...they merge together for me.

However, I can count on one hand the number of students who I have run across in the last seven years of teaching who truly "love" learning. I get the impression that many just want to succeed in school, they want to get good grades, they want to get into a good college, they want to make their parents happy...but seldom do they want to be at school to truly learn. There are exceptions, but most want to get out of school as quickly as possible (on a given day, at the end of the year, when they finally graduate). They are always looking for the next best thing...other than school. There are not many who truly seem to "love learning".

I am always looking for ways to make headway in unraveling this dilemma. Is it possible for the mass of high school students to truly love learning or is it a point of view that develops with time...like a fine wine?

Your Relationship with Students: Caring & Empathy in Teaching Math

Helping students learn math can be complex, difficult and requires a long-term commitment. It also requires that a "relationship" of trust be built with your students. Today I had about 20 different students in my room before and after school (as early as 7:30 am and as late as 5:00 pm). Interestingly, none of them were actually my current students. Many were students from past classes I had taught or students that I didn't even know. They had one thing in common...they all had a test in IB Math Studies coming up sometime in the next week.

So, the obvious question was, "Why were they coming to me for help?" There are many possible reasons but here are a few of the most likely (from my perspective):

• They trust me and are comfortable coming to me for help
• Their friends (who know me) told them I would help them and encouraged them to visit me
• They know I have confidence in them and want to see them succeed
• They want to understand the math and pass their class
• I am patient and explain mathematics in a way and at a pace that matches their learning style
• I give them an opportunity to practice and confirm/deepen their understanding
• I make the time working on mathematics enjoyable and fun - with a sense of humor
• And their course teacher is not readily available to provide help

I am sure there are other reasons (for example, desperation) that these student come to me, but I think this list is a pretty good start.

MORAL  OF THE STORY: Make yourself overtly available to work with ANY students on math (don't miss the opportunity). Show the students respect and that you care. Empathize with their situation and adjust to meet their needs. Make the visit to work with you productive and enjoyable. If you can do these things, over the long term, you will build a reputation with students for being a teacher who they can trust and a teacher who truly has their best interests at heart. This is something that takes (a lot of) time, and once established, every effort should be made to keep the relationship and reputation firmly in place. Best of all, it makes teaching math that much more rewarding!

IB Math SL & HL: Problems vs. Practice

Most of my students come to me in grade 11 for their first year of IB mathematics (either SL or HL). One of the big challenges I face is transitioning students from "practice" to "problems". I define practice as repeating the same skills over and over until you get good - for example, learning how to complete the square. "Problems", on the other hand, are new questions that require a student to combine multiple mathematical concept in new ways to work towards an answer.

Many of my students have been raised on "practice" but have limited exposure to "problems". This is a serious "problem" for them when they begin the IB mathematics curriculum. My assessments are almost entirely made up of problems, not additional practice. Early on it is not uncommon for a student to approach me after a test and say something along the lines of, "It's not fair, I haven't seen that problem before." Needless to say, I have little sympathy and proceed to explain the difference between "practice" and a "problem".

Eventually, they understand that it is going to be a real "problem" for them if they do not learn how to solve actual mathematical "problems". They come around, but it takes time and "practice". In the end, they eventually get a sense of what real mathematics is all about.

More from Daniel Willingham

After getting a reminder (and some motivation) from the practical writing and insight of Daniel Willingham in "Is It True That Some People Just Can't Do Math" I went out searching for more. There are other great articles and videos by Willingham on his personal site Daniel Willingham.

Lost Article: Is It True That Some People Just Can't Do Math?

I spent about 30 minute tonight looking for an article from the past (I had forgotten the name) titled, "Is It True That Some People Just Can't Do Math?" by Daniel T. Willingham. Interestingly I found the article I was looking for embedded in a very recent article by Grant Wiggins titled, "Conceptual Understanding in Mathematics".

I first read the original article when it was published in 2010 but had lost track of it. During recent discussions at school there have been multiple lapses into the "concepts vs. facts vs. procedures" debate. I always felt that this article aligned with my personal thinking and experience on this topic and wanted to find it and share it with everyone. It is worth the read!

Is It True That Some People Just Can't Do Math?