Month: October 2018

I think the structure you have for the essay is well written. your paragraphs are well formed and the topic flows. you use a lot of detail which is good. Maybe talk more about the kids that went to private school, then the ones who didn’t and show more points on how they differ. Also in the other article you found, I would talk more about that article then just one paragraph on it. And compare the two on how they are different and the same. I think the last paragraph is a good way to end the essay.

In ” Why do Americans stink at math?” By Elizabeth green. Discusses what most young American students go through. It is not uncommon for students to not do well in math. It is a subject that is popular with many struggling with it.  Within this article we  talk about Akihiko Takahashi in 1978, college student in Tokoyo, and his mission to make math become easier to learn, with different ways of teaching it.

Akihiko Takashashi became a  elementry school  teacher, but in Japan he taught college students who aspired to become teachers as well.  He brought teaching to another level, teaching like no one before. He turned his classroom into a labatory.  He decided to change the way students should study, instead of having them memorize equations and practice problems, just like how we do in American schools now.  He decided to have discisuions among the class, and by doing this having the students work out the problems themselves.  And over the next 12 years the japaness educational system , used this approach when it came to teaching math.  In 1991, at the age of 58 he had an opertunity to teach in America, a school run by japanese.  He had a desier to be the center of new math.  He started to visit american schools, he would see that americans had this dream way to teach math but they would fail.

American teachers failed guidence,  were unprepared, they were damaging students more than they were helping them.  Today we have : common core, which is a set of acamdemic math standards. A reform to change math but its without a good system for helping teachers  be able to learn to teach them.  Teachers are more doing traning for common core and learning it themsleves, so how can they teach it ? Students know dont know bsic math concepts like how to multiply or divide, use arithmatic and applying it to the daily life. Teachers are unprepared, setting the children back in their education.  In countries like japan they have a similar approach but their sucess with it is incredible, while in America maybe we arent sutied for this just yet.  Common core stem the traditional way of teaching math , does not work.  On an average test two thirds  of fourth graders and eighth graders are not skilled in math.  Same goes with on multiple choice test, the same results could not comprehend the question.  Even in our home state of Massachuseets, one of the countries  highest perfomoring with math, average student is two years behind in math, versus in other countires like Japan. The unschooled are more capable of math thats complex then the students who have been taught it.

Almost all of American math classes have the same struture and follow the same pattern.  We are focusing on procedures but not that the procedures mean.  Students arent able to apply the problem strategy  to new problems. American instutions that have charged teachers to learn new  procedures in math have shown unable to do it.  If teachers are not getting the right traning then they are unable to teach the math the right way, or understand it themsleves.  ANd having common core teachers and being told to unlearn the approach they were taught in the first place. The traning is weak and just leading to inifiicent teachers. As a teacher you have the power in your hands to educate the next generation. It is you job to bring them on the path of sucess, if you’re failing by teaching them, then whats your purpose? A lesson that Japan has taught the united states is that, there is a possibilty of change, that change can be made.  It will take time to train teachers in this way to benefit the students, it is far from an over night process, but it can get done. The education system in the united states needs to change, we need to improve our math skills and the way math is being taught.

At the age of 13, I was taught the importance of accepting who you are and that its okay to have insecurities.

I was in the seventh grade, I always struggled with school, it never came easy for me. Especially when it came to math. My math teacher Mr. Lawlor would spend countless hours a week helping me understand the subject until I could perfect it. This helped bring up my confidence, especially since I just lost an abundant amount of weight and trying to get over the insecurity of being overweight.  When I was younger my parents became divorced. It was a hard time for me with my dad in and out of my life then eventually completely out of my life.  I would turn to food for comfort, which this eventually lead to me being 70 pounds overweight. A couple of years later my mom would take me to the gym and on a diet and i lost the weight Right around the time of seventh grade, I was still dealing with some insecurity.  But with Mr. Lawlor, taking the extra time to help me understand and help me succeed, that brought my confidence up. The impact he had on me is the reason why I want to become a teacher one day.

When I was in high school I dealt with a lot of drama with girls, this caused me to feel very alone in school. My algebra teacher, Mrs. Monro would talk to me, ask me how my day was. She would even skip out on some lunches to sit with me in her classroom and talk instead of me sitting alone in the cafeteria. Around this time I was going through a very bad break up. The guy turned all of his friends against me and none of them would speak to me, even though they were my friends too. I didn’t do anything wrong and it was a manipulative situation that had me feeling constantly alone.  Mrs. Monro would listen to me, be there for me, and give me her wisdom on what to do.  She taught me to always be myself, never have fear, and stick up for what I believe in. Something I still follow to this day. She told me ” Rise above it all,” and I’ve been doing that ever since.   She helped me feel comfortable going to school and not feeling timid. She was there when I had no one else in school. She showed nothing but care and compassion and that’s something I’ll never forget.

Their impact on me is what helped me become the person I am today. I always want to help people and make an impact on their lives just like Mrs. Monro and Mr. Lawlor did for me. I want to become a teacher and do exactly what they did for me to others.

I want to make a change, show kids they are far from alone. And they can do anything they want in this world.   If I can make a difference and impact in at least one child’s life I would be happy. Having the opportunity to prevent someone from going through what I went through, with the drama and feeling alone in school, that’s my goal.  To spread kindness and positivity.