My Take Aways This Semester...

Enrolling for these extra courses has been a such a bliss. I am getting to see the differences in the way we teach way back home and the way the things are taught here.  At times I find something from home working well and at other times I feel the pedagogical methods are so learner centred here. And this comparison goes on in my mind. Not only do I get to know 'what is' , but  also 'how it is better or not better than what I already know'. 

At the end of this course when I look back, I see myself as an advocate of a mixed approach- traditional and modern, because that is what is being used back home. We are still in the transformation phase where we have accepted that teaching in a more learner centred manner is necessary. But there is still gap to be filled between the existing 'more' and the required 'absolute'.There are some conventions we hesitate to part with. This course has made me see how mathematics can be actually fun and not just a brain rattling activity. I see the importance of  creating a mathematical environment, giving problems that are worth, using groups, letting the children reflect on what they have found and  praising effort and not ability. 

The activities we had in the class were especially helpful in letting me discover the fun ways of doing mathematics. The Math Fair needs a special mention. It is an excellent idea to have children display their understanding of the problem and solve it using various strategies that they think would work the best. This takes me back to the 'open mind' and 'fixed mind' concepts. Children should be encouraged to try and take up the challenges with an open mind. While working in groups, children can discover that there may be many ways of solving a problem. Though I did not go for any observation days to be able to see the kids actually doing it, but I could hear wonderful views and reflections of the classmates about what they saw and  felt good or not so good about it. The Peer Teaching experience, though it was under simulated conditions , gave me an opportunity to plan a problem, put it to the children in a proper manner and then conduct it  such that it encouraged in them, a problem solving attitude, the urge to try more and find ways to solve the problem. As a teacher , I see myself opening up to a new world of possibilities in the teaching of mathematics.