Simple Math, Try Addition.

Teaching math is a profession that could be a challenge for most who do not particularly like the subject, math. In general, I have come to realize that if I want to teach a topic to someone at any age, I am going to at least need to know the basics about what I am teaching. It would be very tricky to teach someone about something when he or she does not have any background information. For example, if someone wanted to show another person how to bake a recipe, and they have never made the recipe before, it would be extremely challenging to explain to the other person what do to. In hand, the person who is trying to learn how to bake the recipe is going to be completely lost. It is most helpful to be prepared with answers to any possible questions about the topic. The main objective to teach math is the ability to understand the material yourself and be comfortable with the topic. It is necessary to do these things before you are going to efficiently explain the topic well, let alone correctly.

Personally, teaching math seems like one of the hardest things that can be taught. Unlike math, history and science, in an elementary setting, are mostly what is memorization and to remembering certain key points. Math, on the contrary is much different. At the beginning of this class, I was certain that teaching math would be one of the more simple things to teach to other students. However, my thoughts completely changed when I realized that it was not. Teaching a student how to add numbers may be one of the easier topics to explain, but the main difference is how to explain the process. If you give students five blocks and ask them: what are different ways you can add the blocks together to get the number five? They may either look at you and stare silently saying, “there is only one way,” and then group the blocks together to make five; or they may move two to one side and group the other three together, etc. Stating that: 2 + 3 = 5, is not going to be enough for the student to understand the concept of addition. While most of us would know, surely the answer is 5, a student who has never learned math may be completely confused. Questions may arise such as, “if two plus three equals five, then why does one plus four also equal five?” 

Instead of just stating, well that is just how it is, there are many different ways to help the student understand why both answers are true. One of which is to draw a number line, representing the increase using arrows and tic marks. Another way is to explain how to add numbers is to use pictures, or counting objects. Gradually increasing step by step is much more informative and understandable then simple stating the correct answer.

Note: The picture given above is an example showing how to use a number line to add: 5 + 4 = 9.