Now, the enemy: "Traditional Math Class"

The whole idea of this blog is to take a journey through breaking the traditions of math education. I should lay down what a traditional math class looks like. Then we can know what the enemy is. Once the enemy is known it can be attacked.

The Enemy: Traditional Math Class

Summary: Traditional Math Classes have been running rampant for more than a century. They have destroyed children's hopes and dreams to do anything that requires mathematical thought by presenting math as a series of tedious algorithmic skills and deprives it of all meaning. Despite their devastating effects, they are present in almost every school. Due to the "tradition", most new math teachers start one right away and follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. Little can be done to stop them other than to phase them out slowly by converting those who are willing to change and teaching prospective teachers a better way.

Attributes: Traditional Math Classes are teacher centered. All desks face the board. The teacher lectures, expecting students to shut up and listen, and the students take "notes" (typically of the form of just writing down whatever the heck the teacher writes down.) The teacher explains a concept void of any meaning, does some practice "problems," and then the students do some practice "problems." The students have homework doing more "problems." During the next class session, students correct their homework and turn it in. Only the final answer matters. The process does not unless the students are in elementary or getting help from the teacher. If that is the case, they better do it the same way as the teacher. The cycle continues every day. Teacher lectures, students take notes and do the "problems." The answer to the question "when will we ever use this?" falls typically into the categories A) Because you'll be tested on it B) So you can learn more math (like calculus) or C) Because I said so.

Reason for Termination: Students avoid math like the plague. They shy away from anything that might require advanced thought because it is too much like math. Students fail to enter into STEM fields of study. Students avoid problem solving.

Defenses: Tradition. Perhaps the most sturdy of fortresses, the only way to destroy it is to run. Run as far away as you can. If you forget a tradition, it will die. Unfortunately, too many people know of the Traditional Math Class. Each prospective teacher has had some 16+ years of experience with it, and think that it is the only way to teach students Math. We must persevere in convincing teachers to teach Math a different way. If we can get teachers to forget the tradition, we may survive its relentless assault.


Really, this isn't everything, but I wanted to get a picture up of the enemy. Further details will be added in other posts.