Saturday, September 12, 2009
I am going into my 4th year in the education field. I teach math to high school students, all 9th graders. Our county has recently moved to the GPS Standards in Math. What I have discovered from my experience thus far is that many of my students are not motivated to learn math. I work an inner-city school that serves students of low socioeconomic status. I find that most of my students lack that basic math skills which makes it hard for me to teach them the curriculum. My question is what do I do? How can I motivate my students and get them to the point where they need to be? This is one of the things that I have found that makes teaching hard.
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As I was reading this, I swear it was me that was writing it. I am in exactly the same situation. I also teach 9th grade Algebra to inner-city students and I've found that they lack the basic stills they need to complete the course. Every year I don't get through as much as I should and I think it's because we spend so much time going over things like adding/subtracting positive and negative numbers or add/subtract/multipy/divide fractions. Things that I should be able to quickly review and move on. However, some need a complete lesson all over again. It is frustrating. Since this is only my third year, I don't have any answers to your question. However, it is nice to know there is something else out there feeling my frustration. Good luck and keep posting!
ReplyDelete@Melissa: what a coincidence! Adding and subtracting positive and negative number, and anything dealing with fractions are the exact skills that my students lack in. It is frustrating when you're only able to cover so much due to having to reteach. And it seems like you're faulted for your students not passing standized tests in some way or another. Does your school have end of the course tests? Thanks for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteThe only solution I see for these students is the use of an integrated learning system with a math curriculum. It can start at each student's individual level and provide the student with tutoring that adjusts to the student's math ability. Unfortunately, they are expensive.
ReplyDelete"The law of the jungle" dictates that only skills that people need to survive are seen as important. It is therefore no wonder why students from a low social class are not motivated to learn algebra or basic math and reading skills. After all who cares about math when they are hungry ? or who is going to read when their parents are up fighting or bullets are raining outside?
ReplyDeleteThe only way I think these students can be reached is by teaching them the content that seem more relevant to their situation first then find ways to link it with the more irrelevant areas. That something I find very useful while teaching in east New York.