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I have always loved math. It has come pretty natural to me. Possibly, it could be because

I don’t have to remember a bunch of facts like in history and science. You just have to remember

how to solve that type of problem, which I think is a lot easier. Because of this sense of easiness,

I feel like I’m more willing to work hard to solve for the correct answer or study deeper to

understand the type of problems. It has been interesting to dig a little deeper into these subjects

that I have been learning about and learning for many years.

Through this course I have been able to better understand. Before, I knew how to solve

the problems before we discussed the different topics. The problems made sense in my mind

because it’s what what I have been doing for years and it’s what my teacher told me to do. It

worked every time. Why would I change or try anything different? As we dug a little deeper, I

really began to understand why we were solving the problem in a certain way. I was also amazed

at how many different ways there were to display and solve the same problem. It was important

for me to learn that there’s more than one way to find the correct answer. Through tutoring, I

would have to use all of the ways that I knew to finally be able to help the student find the

answer. It is important to know what’s going on and multiple ways to solve it so that you can

help all sorts of different learners. Teaching and learning about math can be challenging, but it is

so worth it.

Some of the main things that I will take away from the course were the warning signs that

we read about at the beginning of the semester as well as the 10 problem solving strategies. In

the article that we read, it talked about some warning signs to be cautious of because doing these

things can hinder the students and their learning. There were three warning signs that were

included in the article which included interrupting the child’s strategy, manipulating the tools,
Running head: LOOK BACK Anderson 2

and asking a series of closed questions. As I did my tutoring hours for the course, I really tried

my hardest to keep these working signs in the back of my mind at all times and I was amazed

how much more I got out of it as well as the students. Something else that I have had to apply

and will continue to apply is the 10 problem-solving steps. Those steps included guess and

check, using visual aids, look for a pattern, make a table, make an organized list, work

backwards, use a variable, solve a simpler problem, eliminate possibilities, and use deductive

reasoning. These are some helpful steps that will help you solve almost any problem. They are

also good tips to teach students so they can use it on tests or homework when the teacher isn’t

available to help them. It will also give them some ideas to try before raising their hand and

asking for help.

This course really has taught me a lot and has opened my eyes to things I didn’t really

understand before. Before this class, I had never heard of base 5 or base 6 numbers. As I learned

about these type of numbers, it helped me to recognize the importance of place values and how

they are organized. I didn’t understand it at all when I first came across it in our textbook. I

finally started to get an understanding when I saw a visual representation of it. I think I

remember that Gabby was teaching and she was able to present it in beautiful way that was much

easier for me to understand. These problems got your brain thinking in different ways which is a

big thing that I enjoy about math. This was the only thing that was completely new to me and it

was good to review and discuss deeper into the other subjects. This will help me be more

prepared for when I get my own classroom because I now know a variety of ways to solve

different problems. Having the opportunity to teach was also a great way to get some great

experience before getting in front of future students.