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My goal is to provide a high quality, challenging and accessible mathematics education

for my students. “No one approach or method of teaching math and science has been found to

meet the needs of all students all of the time. But various kinds of active and collaborative

learning experiences certainly increase the odds of success” (Adams & Hamm, 2014, p 2).

Through my experience, I have come to understand that learning mathematics is enhanced when

content is placed in context and is connected to other subject areas. Learning is also enhanced

when students are given multiple opportunities to apply mathematics in meaningful ways as part

of the learning process. I also strongly believe that differentiating content, process, and product

is essential to student learning where the teacher creates alternate paths based on student learning

styles that all lead to the same destination. According to Sousa and Tomlinson (2011), “it is

essential for teachers to extend the ways in which they transfer knowledge to students, as well as

to extent the avenues through which students access that they need to learn” (p153).

Here is a unit I developed and taught to a kindergarten classroom on learning how to tell

time with a digital and analog clock. This unit provided students with multiple opportunities to

apply mathematics such as: using student clocks as manipulatives, interactive read aloud about

telling time that included Kagan structures, students creating their own clock to take home and

share with families, math games about telling time, and summative and self-assessment

worksheets (Kagan & Kagan, 2009). I have found that providing multiple opportunities and

encouraging students to apply mathematical reasoning in real-world settings helps students to

understand abstract reasoning into more concrete reasoning. “Putting the acquired math skills to

use in real world situations is a way to help students connect and perhaps even get excited about

math” (Oxnevad, 2013).

The enduring understanding was that students understood that being able to tell time is a
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critical life skill. They were focusing on the different tools we use to tell time and how they are

used as well as why it is important to tell time. This unit was very successful where the entire

classroom of twenty-one students met the objective. I used the three-part lesson format when I

created the lessons in the unit. First, we did a simple mind’s on activity where students used the

student clocks and they were able to start problem solving telling time by showing what they

went to bed along with the interactive read aloud which got them thinking about the time telling

concept. Second, I assigned a learning activity where students created a clock. During this time,

it is important to let students “do the work” providing hints and listening carefully as I observe

and assessed student understanding. Last, students were able to share their learning with

cooperative leaning strategies and self-assessment sharing. The reflecting and connection portion

of the three-part lesson format is important to summarize the main ideas and to encourage a

community of learners where they know they have a safe place to share their learning. According

to Sammons (2018), the true essence of teaching is guiding others to greater understanding. He

states that this type of teaching “taps into the curiosity of learners and offers them opportunities

for mathematical exploration, with teachers and learners working collaboratively to construct

knowledge” (p 1).

As a new teacher, I have learned that it is critical to establish a solid foundation of

success in mathematics for elementary students. Creating an environment where learning math

can be fun, interesting, and beneficial is crucial to create that solid foundation. Understanding

that students enter the classroom with various learning styles and differentiating lessons and

activities is of utmost importance. Providing cooperative learning activities (Kagan structures),

hands on manipulatives, and incorporating math games daily into the classroom have proven to

be successful to me thus far (Kagan & Kagan, 2009). I look forward to continuing my education
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and finding new and different approaches to help students succeed in mathematics.
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References

Adams, D., & Hamm, M. (2014). Teaching math, science, and technology in schools today:

Guidelines for engaging both eager and reluctant learners: Vol. Second edition.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Retrieved from:

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=709555&site=ehost-live

Kagan, S. & Kagan, M. (2009) Kagan cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan

Publishing.

Oxnevad, S., (2013). 4 tools to connect students to real world math. Retrieved from:
https://www.gettingsmart.com/2013/12/4-tools-connect-students-real-world-
math/
Sammons, L., (2018). Teaching students to communicate mathematically. ASCD. Retrieved

from: http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1838355&site=ehost-live

Sousa, D., Tomlinson, C. (2011). Differentiation and the brain. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree

Press.