Teachers........Need Advice??/?

Question

I want to be a 3rd or 4th grade teacher when I get older so, for practice I try to teach my brother multiplication. He just doesn't get it, the work that he turns in to me is all wrong and I don't know how to teach him better. I usually get very frusterated because he doesn't get the easiest things. Does this mean I am going to be a really bad teacher when I become one?? What do you teachers do when one of your students does not understand something at all and turns in there homework all wrong? When you are a teacher do they have workbooks that teachers can look off of to teach the lesson a little better so the students will actually UNDERSTAND it? Thank you to all who answers!!

Answer 1

First of all, many textbooks DO have a teacher's edition or workbook, which will suggest extra exercises, give tips, or at least give correct answers to the exercise questions. But that's not going to save you. That's like the flippers that make you swim faster: You have to be able to swim or they won't help. These teacher's editions do not teach you how to teach.

Secondly, in order to be a teacher you actually have to go to school to learn how. You have to get a degree in education. Maybe that's comforting.

But nothing substitutes for the teaching sense. Teachers may have different styles, but I think the successful ones are those who can:

1. UNDERSTAND the question. Many times a teacher and student aren't even on the same wavelength. The teacher doesn't understand what the student is trying to ask, so she/he answers the wrong question, and the student is more confused.

2. understand the potential PROBLEMS the student might have. They have to be able to start with the BASIC building blocks. Some perfectly smart teachers can't even remember what it was like not to know how to multiply, so they might be unable to describe it from the bottom up.

3. IMAGINE different ways of explaining things. Metaphors play a big role here. When I talk about having common denominators so you can add two fractions, it might help if I say the two denominators are apples and oranges (and we need to deal in apple-orange juice). Or to explain basic subtraction, saying that 3-1 is like you had three marbles and I took one, how many will you have left? Many math books use these examples; partly because math should not stand alone: What good does it do us to be able to count if there are not things to count?

4. Lastly MATCH the student's needs (1) with the method (3), using (2) to explain.

For example, some students learn best by SEEING things. Pictures of half pies. Other students learn better by LISTENING to the teacher and imagining it in their head or even remembering it as words. Many students must PRACTICE over and over, though others just need to study it. Sometimes a student won't learn well unless you make it INTERESTING. Other students need a lot of ENCOURAGEMENT. These are all differences in students' individual learning skills, and a good teacher figures them all in.

My guess is you can't remember what it was like to learn to multiply, so you can't understand what his problem could be. Be imaginative. Take real objects like marbles or raisins or chocolate chips (rewards for getting it right...) and show him what it's like to have ONE set of four, then TWO sets of four, and let him see it add up. Once the basic understanding is there-- once he can show you examples up to say, 6x6 and you've taught him the special rules-- then I don't think there's any other option but to memorize the times tables. As an adult you have to know at a second's notice what 6x8 is, or you will be embarrassed. But make sure he really understands the concepts first. And don't feel either you or he are failures if it goes slowly. After all, you are both learning. And the more fun it is for both of you, the better it will go.

Answer 2

Yes, there are many resources available to teachers. And once you finish a high quality teacher training program you will have learned many strategies to help your students achieve success. What's happening with your brother is a challenge that you will face all the time when you become a teacher. Just keep trying. A dedicated teacher never gives up on her student. All children learn in a different way, so pay careful attention to how your brother learns. Is he a visual learner or an auditory learner? Could you help him to memorize his multiplication facts by making up songs or tracing them in sand? I've been teaching for 15 years, and I can tell you that it's the best career in the world. You get to help children every day. Don't worry, just keep trying and make the learning fun for your brother. You will make a wonderful teacher some day!

Answer 3

That is awesome you want to be a teacher. I was like you, I knew from the start that I wanted to become a teacher. And it is excellent that you are practicing with your little brother. I am sure you and your brother are benefiting from this.

The one thing that I approach when there is a student that is just not getting it is going back to the basics. If they aren't fully understanding something in their grade level that means there is something lacking from their previous knowledge.

Don't worry that you are having a hard time with helping your brother right now. That is why teachers must go to school for 4 years. You learn tricks and strategies in helping students.

With math though, I like to use what is called manipulatives. They are activities that students can use to help them understand concepts in math. They are mostly things you see with your own eyes and touch with your hands. What you can try is maybe using candy, because it will definitely get his attention :) Try having him separate 3 groups of m&m's that have 4 of them in each group. Explain that multiplying is kind of like adding. Also, I'm a firm believer in memorizations with the multiplication table. But, this takes time and practice for the student on their own.

Keep trying and good luck!

Answer 4

It's great that you want to be a teacher. Teachers need to find many different ways of explaining things to their students - not every example makes sense to everyone. How does your brother learn best? Is he a visual person? Try using pennies to illustrate multiplication. Is he more of a memorizer? Memorizing the table will be useful. Education classes will teach you these things, but you can practice on your brother now. See if he knows WHY he doesn't understand, or ask him exactly WHAT he doesn't get.

Answer 5

No, this doesn't mean you will be a bad teacher. It just means that you don't have the experience or skills yet to teach your brother. If a student doesn't understand something after I've gone through the lesson, then it's my job to try to teach it from a different angle. There are no worksheets which tell teachers about EVERYTHING they need to teach, but there are different resources for when we get stuck.

Answer 6

Once you begin taking courses in college, they'll teach you many ways of looking at math problems so you can teach it from many different angles. Not all students learn the same, and you have to know which way works best with each student.
For me, it was hard at first explaining math because it was difficult breaking everything down into steps. You will learn how to do this. Don't worry. Good luck!

Answer 7

Don't judge yourself so soon. You have yet to go to college and receive the training necessary in order to teach students of varying abilities. Very few people are "natural teachers," we have all learned strategies to help our students become successful, no matter their comprehension level. Yes, there are workbooks and supplements that teachers use to enrich their lesson plans, which provide for variation in multi-level classes. Suerte! And I wish you success in your future!!

Answer 8

Yeah, they do give you workbooks, and you can share ideas with other teachers. Yet, you have to have patience with little kids

Answer 9

You need to try and figure out what it is he doesn't understand. Maybe from looking at his answers you can try and figure out what he is doing to get those answers. Or you can just ask him.
If he's not getting it, you need to try a different approach.

Answer 10

I am taking elem.ed. Here is a web site that might help you out...
www.mde.k12.ms.us
when you get there, click on k12 curriculum and I am sure that you can take it from there.