Members of a Learning Community

      A successful classroom is one that grows into a community of learners.  When groups of people work together, community will develop.  The nature of this community can be intentionally established, or it can be formed by chance socio-psychological dynamics.  My experience has shown me that it is best to work toward an intentional sense of community and trust, or else the community that naturally develops may not be adequate for the success of all members.

      In this class, I hope that we will cooperatively develop the norms of acceptable behavior.  I also hope that we will work to dynamically alter our collective understanding of mathematics.  By this, I mean to demonstrate that mathematics is a problem solving tool, a form of communication, and one of the greatest human endeavors.

      To achieve this community, we all must assume certain responsibilities.  While I might say, “It is not my job to teach,” I am just using a popular catch-phrase among educators (because it is my job to teach).  However, my primary responsibility is to facilitate the learning process by providing an environment with optimal learning activities.  My secondary job is to carefully monitor—and respond to—the levels of frustration of my students, collectively and individually.  I see my job less as a “sage on the stage” and more as a “guide by your side.”

      Your responsibilities are…

§  to actively participate (it is your responsibility to learn);

§  to help other people learn (because this in turn helps you);

§  to cooperate without compromising your integrity (this means you don’t say okay just to move on to another problem, but you require your group-members to work with you to achieve understanding); and

§  to communicate respectfully.

Reformulating Common Misconceptions about Mathematics

      There are three common misconception about mathematics.  First, it is not only okay to make mistakes in math class, it is actually essential.  Second, most authentic (real-world) problems are not solved quickly (as students have been trained to believe solving countless homework exercises).  Third, confusion is essential in the learning process.  However, the cycle should be something like this

confusion  ®  searching  ®  find an adequate answer  ®  ask clarifying questions  ®  confusion

Too often students view confusion as the precursor to frustration—even more so in mathematics and statistics.  However, such an attitude toward the “real-world” is neither healthy nor advantageous.  Confusion should be seen as an opportunity to learn and grow.  Again, it is your responsibility to keep me informed if the frustration levels are getting to high.  And, it is my responsibility to monitor and provide support appropriate for optimal learning.

Choice & Motivation

      The two most influential factors for mathematical achievement are time on task and teacher enthusiasm.  In order to stay “on task” for the necessary amount of time, students must receive (or already have) some degree of motivation.  As a means to provide motivation, I firmly hold to the theory that autonomy supports motivation.  Thus, whenever possible, I will provide you with choices that you can make to guide your learning process.