Teaching Mathematics

Many of the students asked many times where will we use this in real life? To be honest It happened all of us. In early school years, many of us did not judge the reason of learning some staff. However, when we grove up we started to think the famous question. Is it really necessary to learn mathematics after knowing some basic concepts like operations and solving some problems?

When my students ask me this questions, I always say them you will use them in high school, or in the university. Then, I realize that what if they do not want to know more about it, what if some basic concepts are enough for them? Is it necessary to push them to learn more and more?

A couple days ago my friends and I was talking about how we learned the math and how we understand the logic behind some concepts and subjects. I realized that I learned them after many years later. For example, I learned the logic behind the integral when I came to the university, but in university entrance exam I did not miss any questions about it. Isn’t it weird? Think about it, you learn something and you do not know how or why and you are just using some formulas or techniques to solve problems, that’s all. Did we ask why this is like that; why this is not like that? NO, no judgement, because when we ask these questions; there were some known answers, you will use this in bla bla bla!! or this is this, the only important thing is to know them, not the reason.

Now think about the next generation who learned the mathematics like that. Can they ask the reason or judge anything? No, because they know the answer already. This is this, that is that. No explanation no deeper understanding. This is not just for mathematics this for life. Thus, teachers should be more energetic more willing to teach. They should let students to ask more and more questions, and they should ask more questions to students, but not the mathematical problems. To be a good teacher, a good math teacher we need to push them to think more, produce more and understand more. The only way to teach them why the mathematics is so important for life and for them.

Before finishing my writing, I want to explain my enlightenment about repeating decimals. I learned the formula to convert repeating decimals to fractions, but I did not learn the logic behind it. Many of us remembers the formulas that if there is repeater put 9 below of fraction and 0 for other decimal number, for above of the fraction subtract non-repeater part from itself by thinking it is a normal number, Like below.

I learned recently that the formula comes like below, and it is so easy to follow and understand.

x=a,bcccc….

100x=abc,cccc….

10x=  ab,cccc...

If we subtract 10x from 100x we get 90x=abc-ab so,  

After learning this, I questioned myself, my education. Why did not we learned like that and said myself, I have to be a different teacher that I have before. I have to show my students the beauty of mathematics, my students should be reasonable and curious people. Thus, I SHOULD NOT BE A LAZY TEACHER, I SHOULD IMPROVE MY TEACHING SKILLS. 💪WORK HARD PLAY HARD!!💪