In math class today, I learned that I am much better seeing patterns in numbers than I am seeing patterns in pictures. It felt natural for me to write the numbers in a chart and figure out the general equation for the nth number. However, it took a while for me to figure out how to manipulate the tiles to show the associated geometry picture for the garden equation. It took me even longer to figure out how to show the picture for the snake equation.
I am trying to figure out how to be more flexible in my own math thinking so that I can understand and help all my students. Heather had a great (and very fast way) to do the garden problem and it took me several times before I was on the same page and understanding her thinking. I need to figure out several ways how to solve problems so that I become more flexible and get out of long held patterns. Next time, I should start with the picture and not the numbers!
Last quarter, Prof. Allison Hintz gave us some tools –including worksheets to help us plan how we might want to use students’ math thinking to show different problem solving strategies to our class. Sometimes a particular sequence can help guide our students to move to a more efficient strategy. As a new teacher, I would benefit from using the planning sheets or trying to solve problems in a number of ways to help me preview what I might expect to hear/see in class. It is powerful to share students’ math thinking, but I think it needs to be facilitated well by a flexible thinker.
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