Teaching Math

After reading Lockhart’s Lament I got to thinking about what might happen if we taught math class more like we teach Art.

I thought about the first district I taught at. We never seemed to have any real art classes. A couple of volunteers would come in about once a month and teach a lesson and that was it for the elementary school. Yet, the high school always seemed to be filled with the most amazing art.

I know my fourth graders loved to draw. I encouraged it as much as I could but I never really tried to teach art. I just don’t know enough about the subject to teach it. I brought in a few artists I knew and let them teach when I could.

Was the positive encouragement and the hands-off attitude crucial to developing so many artists or am I just imagining things.


Should elementary teachers who don't know anything about Math or Science not teach those subject and invite experts to visit their classrooms?

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Comments

Magnus Mahony said…
The integration of something interesting with basic subjects like Math or Science may give the students a bit of motivation. There are times when students pay less attention to what is actually being taught. So why not spoil them a bit and teach your lessons with a little bit of spice?
June 30, 2011 at 12:30 PM
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