5 Ways to Engage Students in Meaningful Math Discussions

posted on Sep 28, 2020

The best schools in Greater Noida West thus teaches math through meaningful discussions. It is indeed absurd to expect middle school students to sit through quietly in the class of a complicated subject if things are not engaging. The following 5 ways work to extend math to every child. These not only add meaning to math but drill the concepts into the students’ minds.

Mathematics often becomes the most feared or the most hated subject for many students. And then the conclusion is typical – the student does not possess an aptitude for math. But such straight deductions and judgements can keep students mathematically illiterate where future sufferings come in the form of low analytical skills, poor financial planning, aversion to problem-solving and much more. Learning math is important. Practicing it daily is necessary. If students are kept in a curriculum where math is taught as a set of problems and lectures, only a few will find something interesting about the subject, as is the case generally.

The best schools in Greater Noida West thus teaches math through meaningful discussions. It is indeed absurd to expect middle school students to sit through quietly in the class of a complicated subject if things are not engaging. The following 5 ways work to extend math to every child. These not only add meaning to math but drill the concepts into the students’ minds.

1. Starting with “why math”

Disengagement from any subject begins when students start to question its purpose. Why should I study math? What will I gain from learning the concepts of profit and loss? “Because it is the syllabus” is not a good enough motivation for many as curiosity is not developed to fuel the thirst for learning. Hence, similar to all other subjects, math lessons must begin with explaining the purpose of learning the subject both in the short and long term. Once students see that profit and loss literally run the entire world, they will now have a motive to understand the topic better.

2. Asking students to discuss the answer

Interactive learning is a crucial aspect of the top schools in Greater Noida Extension. The flow of education is multidirectional instead of being one way (teacher to student). Math classes need to be interactive, as is the case in such schools, where the teacher does not merely show how to solve a problem. The steps are put up for discussion. Alternate approaches are explored. The feedback that the teacher takes changes from “did you understand?” to “what do you think happened here?”. The latter incite discussions and the students are kept engaged.

3. Conducting math quizzes or competitions

Quizzes are excellent ways to involve the whole class, that too in groups. Each team can go up to the board to solve a problem and earn points to answer correctly. Bonus points are up for grabs for teams who can detect errors and explain why they think the approach is wrong. This method will serve two purposes. One, the competitiveness will help students to find interest in the subject. And two, pinpointing errors will improve the analytical skills of the whole classroom. Quizzes and competitions obviously involve discussions. And it is fun to solve problems to win for a change.

4. Assigning group math projects

Projects are teachers’ ways to turn their students into researchers and explorers. When the topics are meaningful, projects can indeed teach more than any single lecture. Math projects should be connecting the real-world to the subject. Instead of ordinary topics, how math is used in bridge building, running trains, launching rockets are better themes to discuss and write reports. Group projects pave the way for peer-to-peer learning. They also show the application-side of the subject. Meaningful discussions happen and math becomes interesting.

5. Connecting media to math

Smart technology now enables teachers to access the power of media to teach subjects. And the resources available to teach math is abundant. 3D animations and videos can clear concepts. Movies like “Moneyball” can show the importance of math in games. These, again, can lead to meaningful discussions where students reexplore the purpose of math and see how the subject is a winner in actual life. Math cannot be limited to textbooks. The scope is massive and students need to venture out. Small group discussions about what they saw recently on YouTube about math can spark interest and curiosity.

BGS Vijnatham, one of the top names in the list of schools in Greater Noida West, believes in creating engagement with education rather than just imparting knowledge. If a subject is important, students need to retain and not merely study as a necessity. BGS drives engagement in mathematics through the above techniques. Its teachers constantly innovate to explore more areas of taking math to the students through internal motivation and inquisitiveness. The school has a responsibility to help students understand their subjects. Nullifying without trying adequately is not a mark of a great educational institution.