Math- How do I motivate my Trigonometry Students?

Question

I've taught Math for 6 years. But this is my first year teaching Trig. I want to motivate my students to study harder than they've studied before. I'd like my students to have the best scores in the school. Any tips from veteran teachers?

Answer 1

my 8th grade teacher did this, everyone does there homerwork and at every end of the quarter or semester the period with the most stickers get a pizza party or whatever you can think of.

the sticker part uhm just get a huge graphing paper and name each period and if 100% of homework is turn everyday then put a sticker. for test if the class test score is b or higher put 5 stickers.

Answer 2

Theoretical astrophysics might sound really impressive, but it leaves you almost unemployable. There are very few jobs in astronomy (especially considering the larger number of astronomers) so people leave the field every year to take a job elsewhere. And you're more employable if you have practical skills (like observation and experimentation). The Khan Academy is a good place to learn most of the math you'd need in college, but more focused on working examples than really teaching it to you, so you'll end up with some practical skills but not a great deep understanding you'd need to apply it to research. You will need a PhD in the field to get a job.

Answer 3

Take it into the real world (if you can trust the class). Go

1. measure the size of the football field
2. calculate the size of a local hill or moutain
3. measure the size of a tree
4. stand on a hill and calculate the diatnace to the horizon
5. etc

You will need to provide some equipment or data. May the class has to make the equipment using protractors and drinking straws. Be creative.

Mathematics - the queen (as in not king but on the right hand side) of the sciences describing the real world.

Answer 4

For the first few weeks: Every day, in every way, repeat the basics:

1. Mnemonically, SOH-CAH-TOA:
1a. SOH: sin = opp/hyp.
1b. CAH: cos = adj/hyp.
1c. TOA: tan = opp/adj.

2. Visually, the ramp:
2a. For sin, think "rise", or Y-axis.
2b. For cos, think "run", or X-axis.
2c. For tan, think slope = rise/run.

3. Practical examples:
3a. Height of a tree or a flagpole.
3b. Distance to the horizon.
3c. Size of the earth (Eratosthenes).

Then, when they have those basics tattoed on their forebrains, add a few extras:
4a. sin^2 + cos^2 = 1.
4b. Special triangles --
4b1. 30-60-90.
4b2. 45-45-90.
(maybe) 72-18-90 and 54-36-90.
4c. Double-angle formulas.

The basics are not glamorous, but they provide necessary security to those who might be prone to lose it. Once they've got 'em, everyone will be well-grounded on a bedrock foundation.

Throw some bones to the arithmetically adept, who nowadays get far too little encouragement. For those who enjoy it, there is much to be gained by getting friendly with the tables, and some teens still retain impressive memory skills.

Encourage them to play with the hands-on demos at
http://id.mind.net/~zona/mmts/trigonometryRealms

If they're comfortable working with exponential forms, divulge the magic secret of exp(iz) = cis(z), whence all else can be derived.

Answer 5

Tell them trig is easy. Wait till they get to calculus.

Trig kicked my butt, but only because I didn't understand that it didn't matter that you understood it- you had to MEMORIZE it.

Calculus just got impossible at a point.

At least I USE trig in my engineering job. I haven't used calculus yet. It is now a verb: "just trig it out" to solve triangles.

Answer 6

I've always found cattle-prods to be particularly motivational!

;-)

(Kidding, of course.)

Answer 7

Bribe them with beer.

Answer 8

Pay them cash for each correct answer.

Answer 9

stop giving them hard problems................lol :)