The Other Side of Math

‘I hate math. It’s so boring!’. ‘I don’t even want to become a mathematician, why do I have to learn math?’ I am sure these complaints are spreading around, but mathematicians feel that math is an art by itself — formulas are elegant and graphs are beautiful.

Math educators around the world teach the same formulas and theorems. What makes the teaching outcomes different has a lot to do with the way of teaching and the capability to let the students get the nature of mathematics and inspire their learning interest and self motivation.

A good math teacher should be able to help the students understand the mathematical concepts thoroughly. Many students practice hard daily, but if you ask them what they are working on and what are the concepts behind, they may shrug and say “I don’t know”. Yes, students need to practice to solidify their math skills, but this practice is not as effective if they do not understand the concepts. “Learn by Analogy” — if one understands the concepts and the examples that the teacher gives in class, they will be able to do all similar problems.

A good math teacher should be able to show its applications to other school subjects and the real world. Take trigonometry as an example. Trigonometry has significant applications in physics, engineering, marine biology, medical imaging & pharmacy. In addition, Trigonometry is also used in crime investigation, musical theory and production. Believe it or not, it is everywhere in our lives! We learn trigonometry not to become a mathematician, but to better understand our daily lives!

A good math teacher should not only help the students develop their mathematical skills, but also help them build up their critical thinking, problem-solving, and research capabilities. These are essential elements for success in many other school subjects and future careers.

In 1Journey, we will help you find and explore the other side of math!