subject: Get Your Students Excited About Math [print this page] According to Pascal DAccording to Pascal D. Forgione, Jr., Ph.D. U.S. Commissioner of Education Statistics, recent testing showed U.S. fourth-graders performing poorly, middle school students worse. and high school students are unable to compete. Math scores for elementary schools are down nationwide.
Teachers, parents and students are all frustrated.
Yet, math is one of the most practical subjects taught in schools. Math is used throughout one's life in many, many ways. As a student, I always did best in math. Solving word problems was a agme. They were little mysteries, and I was the detective, like Encyclopedia Brown.
In high school. I loved calculus. I felt like I was learning the secrets of math that few knew, like what do all those complex equations you see in the movies really mean. I learned how all the formulas I had used over the years had been derived. I was inside the secrets of math and science.
Why would students not want to study and master math? Why would teachers not be excited about teaching the little minds the secrets of the universe?
My love of math motivated me to write "The Amazing Mysteries of Mathematics." It is a k-6 school assembly program that teaches test taking, problem solving, how and why math is important (and fun), and introduces and compliments concepts the students study. A king, A jester, a possum, a passle of rabbits and a little magic come together to create a program that gets students and teachers excited about math.
I have discovered students love to learn if they see why the lessons are relevant. Most teachers love to teach when the students are motivated, but often struggle to get the students motivated. After an exciting assembly show, students want to go to the library and get math puzzle books, math games and math magic books. Teachers apporoach their classroom with new ideas and smiling faces excited about lkearning math.
Whether a school brings in my program or develops their own, it is time for teachers to get excited about math and pass this entusiasm on to their students.
I recently recieved a thank you note from Summit Academy in Akron, Ohio. In December, my show was part of their math night. Parents and students visited various fun work stations to play with math. After a pizza feast, I presented my math show. The event coordinator, Amy wrote," Thank you for such a fantastic show. The kids are still talking about Math Fun Night and your show was the icing on our mathematical cake."
Getting parents and teachers involved and excited can go along way to improve your school's math scores. In addition to my program, there are a few quality shows I can direct you to.
