Great news! Math can be exciting!

Hello friends!

Welcome back to my math blog. During this week’s class, we started with another card trick. However, there was something different about this card trick. We were told from the start that the deck was rigged but we were challenged to solve how to rig it to get the results you want. Confused at first, my table group got together and tried different techniques to solve it. Turns out, it’s the magic of math.

I found this trick to be quite fascinating because it proves that math is everywhere especially in situations where we least expect it. This week’s class taught me how to make mathematics fun for students in a way that is very unique and exciting.

After doing some research, I found some great resources for teachers to use in order to make the subject more fun for their students.

The first one I’d like to discuss is Oxford’s Learning 6 Easy Ways to Make Math Fun For Kids. This would be a great source for teachers to understand the basics of making math fun for students.

Step One: Make it a game.
Kids are drawn to exciting games, especially those that are hands-on. Turning math into a game can have its benefits since it increases student engagement and healthy competition.

Step Two: Puts screens to work for you.
This is guaranteed to make the subject more fun for kids since today’s youth is obsessed with technology and all the new devices available!

Step Three: Show them the relevance.
Show kids how math can be useful in real life. For example, they can find math useful when in a financial situation (shopping, saving, etc.).

Step Four: Watch your words.
Personally, I find this step to be the most important. Use this step to encourage students to want to learn math. This directly relates to having a growth mindset for your students - encourage them to take on challenges.

Step Five: Access one of the best resources you have - your child’s teacher!
This step requires teachers to collaborate with others and bounce back ideas. You may also suggest ideas to a student’s parent in order to reinforce math in the home environment.

Step Six: Connect math and language.
Make math cross-curricular, especially for students who are more drawn to the arts. An example would be to read a book that talks about math.

Another resource that I found really useful is Mr. Elementary Math’s 30 Ways to Make Math FUN for Elementary Kids. In this resource he makes some suggestions like:

• Make it hands-on
• Use picture books
• Encourage math talk
• Make it about the kids
• Get up and move
• Add cheers
• Celebrate special math events

And there’s so much more. I highly recommend this resource for teachers to explore.

After exploring these resources, I feel like my mindset on math has slowly transformed into the growth mindset. I find myself to be more confident in teaching the subject and open to the challenge of making math exciting for the students. I hope to use these resources and implement it in the classroom.

Being used to the traditional classroom, I found math to be dry and lacklustre. I believe if my teachers had made it to be more hands-on and relatable, I may have potentially excelled in the subject. My past experience with math drives my need to teach math in a way that will always result in a smile. I hope my fellow teacher candidates will feel the same after this math course.