Very few people have the passion and ability to study and teach mathematics.  As a teacher I feel that it is my job to spread my passion and knowledge of mathematics to my students and to reach every student in a way that allows them to see the things that math can do for them in their everyday lives.

            The classroom should be conducive to learning.  A classroom environment should be non-threatening and should provide an atmosphere that promotes communication between the students and myself.  In my classroom my students will be able to ask questions without feeling intimidated or embarrassed.  My students will be given the same respect from myself that I expect to receive from them.

            I feel the most important idea when teaching secondary math is making math relevant to the students.  The more relevant the idea is to the students the more inclined they will be to pay attention and learn what is being taught.  Teaching cannot be done exclusively through lectures.  Not all students learn the same way and straight lecturing does not get the students involved.  Effective teaching requires that all students be actively involved in the learning process.  When students are actively involved they are more interested in what is being taught.  Active involvement includes several types of teaching including: hands-on activities, visual representations, group work, and projects.  I feel that it is important to incorporate more than one type of teaching during each class period.

            Not only are different forms of teaching important, but different forms of student assessment is important as well.  In my class my students will have tests and quizzes throughout the units. However, there will also be activities and projects that provide alternative forms of assessment of the student’s understanding.  Homework will be assigned as well and will be used more for practice than for assessment.  Homework will be graded on effort and completeness rather than on correctness. 

            The use of technology in the math classroom is extremely important.  Technology will further enhance student learning through integration and application of mathematical ideas.  Several software programs are accessible, such as Geometer’s Sketchpad, as well as CBR and CBL’s and appropriate software, Larson’s and the Internet.  Integrating technology into the classroom will provide students with a visual representation and understanding of the math that they are learning.

            Prior planning and quality lesson plans are important to effective teaching.  It is important to spend time on creating quality lesson plans.  All lessons that include new topics need to provide time for students to practice the new ideas independently in the classroom before they are given an assignment relating to that topic.  An effective lesson plan also includes different representations of the same topic. This includes visual, concrete and symbolic representations of the same ideas.  The more senses I can reach the better the chance is that the students will retain the information. 

              The integration and application of these ideas in my classroom will provide an environment conducive to learning and provide the students with the willingness and interest to learn mathematics.