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Running head: Mathematics Education Philosophy

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Mathematics Education Philosophy

Mathematics education, past the rudimentary and secondary grades, has historically been

a field reserved for the intellectually elite. Nevertheless, it is the obligation of the education

system to offer students the chance to access the careers, opportunities, and simply the variety of

choices, that are only available through math proficiency. It is the purpose of mathematics

education to empower students, and provide the lens by which they can observe a measurable

world. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, such proficiency can only

be achieved when teachers embed mathematical thinking and reasoning during instruction (Van

(De Walle et al., 2013). This can be done by incorporating the standards of mathematical

practice, establishing a welcoming environment that encourages trial and error while students

“do math,” and by relying on the constructivist model as outlined by Piaget.

Although it is essential that a mathematics teacher has a thorough understanding of the

content they are teaching; their role should be as a facilitator, a “guide on the side,” rather than

the focal point of instruction. The focal point should be the students. Piaget’s Constructivist

Learning Theory states that learning is an active process, that students produce knowledge and

form meaning based on their own experiences. Through the implementation of this theory, the

mathematics classroom takes on a student-centered approach. Furthermore, by creating a

collaborative classroom where students learn by practicing the material and discussing their
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methods with others, they are developing a conceptual understanding of the content through their

experiences. The teacher offers students an array of complex mathematical tasks, that often times

may require the use of technology or a model as an essential component. As a facilitator, the

teacher promotes a classroom environment that engages students in the eight mathematical

practices. By making sense of problems in a collaborative setting, students can engage in

discourse that allows for the construction of arguments and the ability to critique the reasoning of

those arguments. However, this ideal learning environment can only be maintained through

classroom management. Should the teacher fail to implement rules and procedures that are

adhered to by the students—learning cannot occur. An unruly class where distractions are

abundant, students neglect mathematical tasks, and a teacher is frustrated is not conducive to the

learning environment. Englehart explains that the default position of [middle school] students is

chaos, that an effective teacher leads nothing to chance, that by employing classroom routines

that explicitly outline expectations on how the class will run beginning to end, it ensures students

remain on task and actually learn (2013).

A math classroom were students collaborate, engage in the mathematical practices and

habits of mind, as well as take control of their learning under the leadership of an effective

teacher, is my ideal classroom. In my class, students will be encouraged to defend their

methodologies, to try and reason through their process, and to not be discouraged should the

solution fail to present itself. A community where students grow through practice and discussion.

Englehart states that it is the teacher’s attitude, which includes his or her emotional objectivity,

but also their ability to be flexible and sacrifice their agendas for the sake of the students that is

at the heart of an engaging class (2013). It is my goal to take the ensure my class is of service to
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students, rids them of their fears, clears misconceptions, and attracts them to the most

fundamental discipline in academics: mathematics.

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References

Van De Walle, J., Karo, K. S. and Bay-Williams, J. M. (2013). Elementary and middle school

mathematics: Teaching developmentally. (8th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Bratcher, K. (2015). Facilitating the Collaborative Classroom [Webinar]. Retrieved from

https://www.carnegielearning.com/company/events/webinars/facilitating-the-collaborative-

classroom/

Englehart, J.M. (2013). Five Approaches to Avoid When Managing the Middle School

Classroom. The Clearing House, 86(3), 103-108. doi:10.1090/00098655.2013.772500