It is very
difficult to train, maintain, and retain teachers of all kinds in the US due to
the expression of teacher value through testing. This could not ring more true
for teachers in Mathematics from Preschool through College. While it is
difficult to find good teachers in any subject, it is even more common to not be able to find enough teachers to teach Math.
There are many factors involved in this scenario that include the tendency of
our society to steer clear of math to not being able to properly train our
teachers to be ready for the rigors of math education.
Gender
stereotypes are still hurting our Math Education’s progress that will make the
US more competitive with countries like Japan and Germany. Teachers who are
anxious about the subject can pass on their anxieties to other students
and girls pick up on these emotions
better than boys, perpetuating the stereotype. However, since more students are
going to college, researchers have found out that there is no difference in the test
scores between boys and girls
Most
elementary education teachers, up to 6th and 7th grade Maths, are required to
take a minimal amount of Math Education classes. It may seem that our children
up to our middle school students might be ill-prepared for testing or problem
solving if teachers are only required to take one or two classes of Math. In
contrast, they receive more time in learning how to teach. Many times, it is
taken for granted that college education curricula are not
cohesive or extensive enough to cover all the K-6 learning standards in two
semesters. The higher learning levels, which include Algebra through Calculus,
receive more classes but not enough time in perfecting their teaching methods.
While
Schmidt makes some valid points in his evaluations, there are
additional ways to attack the problem while building better college Math
teacher curricula. Here are my suggestions for preparing better Math teachers
for tomorrow’s classroom:
1.
Match the new teacher with a veteran teacher. Mentors can go
over lesson plans and observe new teachers in the classroom in an informal way
to provide immediate feedback. School systems that rely on feedback from
Principal Evaluations are too far and few between.
2.
Hire new teachers as assistants to veteran teachers for the
first three years of employment. This is the same idea as a mentor program and
may aid in longer time in training. Plus, school systems can allow the new
teacher to experience teaching various math subjects without being tied down to
one particular classroom.
3.
Build training programs for in-service days specifically geared
to reviewing Math material. Even English and History teachers should
participate. There may be ways to design an Interdisciplinary Unit for the
whole grade to follow.
4.
Allow teachers to build and experiment with various styles of
learning. Do one unit based in Multiple Intelligence and another unit based on
Inquiry and yet another based on a Theme. Build a portfolio and journal of new
teacher works.
5.
Require new teachers to obtain their Master’s Degree in Teaching
Math within a time limit. Not only will this boost the school system in how
many teachers with Master’s Degrees it employs, it helps new teachers commit to
their chosen subject area.
If school
systems widely implemented ideas like these, they may find themselves with a
strong set of teachers who are capable of building skills and students and may reduce the amount of teacher over-turn in
the field.
