Introspective Writing

Throughout my years as a student, there was one math teacher who was my least favourite, and that was my Grade 9 math teacher. To begin with, he showed up to the first day of the class seemingly unprepared for the coming semester. The teacher handed out the course syllabus and briefly went over it without explaining or going into detail about some of the expectations he wanted in our class. To make matters worse, my Grade 9 math teacher did not provide any meaningful lessons throughout the semester, as he would give us worksheets or assign our class textbook questions and expect us to do them without explaining the concepts. Often, the teacher expected classmates to sit together and form small groups to help each other while he did not do the teaching. A lot of my classmates ended up getting a grade they weren't satisfied with because the expectations and material weren't delivered properly. 

On the other hand, my favorite teacher was my Grade 11 math teacher. The first thing I remembered was that he gave us each a syllabus with clear explanations of the due dates, absences, assignments and exams. Me and my classmates ended up enjoying his class because he was clear with his expectations. In addition, he would give us fill in the blank worksheets that corresponded to each unit he was teaching. The teacher would go over each point on the worksheet and demonstrate the work for each question, explaining each concept. On top of that, he would also wait and ensure all students finished copying down what he wrote on the board before moving on. His patience and attention to detail were other reasons why I enjoyed his math class.

Some things I can potentially learn from both my Grade 9 and Grade 11 math teachers are the importance of coming prepared and having a lesson plan for the class so students know what they are learning on the day of. On top of that, I need to ensure that I make expectations clear for the class so students know what to expect for the rest of the school years. Last, but not least, I would deliver lessons before forming students into small groups, that way the students already have a basic understanding of the material and can understand the specific areas that they struggle on better. These experiences with both of my math teachers in high school have taught me that being a good math teacher isn't just about understanding the material, but about the way it is delivered, whether students can understand it as well as being patient with students who need extra support.