Teaching and Learning Meaningful Mathematics
What does it mean for mathematics to be meaningful? What is a teacher's role in making mathematics meaningful? These are two questions I have been asking and conducting action research on this year. I see these answers as necessary for my future practice and for my ability to contribute to the teaching profession as a community. When students become bored with taking notes or protesting doing twenty of the same procedural exercises, I wonder how this is meaningful to me as a teacher or to my students. I am applying for the Prospective Teaching NCTM Conference Attendance Award so I can refine my thinking and action research by sharing my ideas and getting feedback from teachers from around the country at NCTM. This experience will help me develop answers to these questions so I can be that teacher who plays an active role to create meaningful mathematics with my students.