Whether you are a mathematics teacher or a mathematics coach, it is important that you develop a routine. Your students will respond more favorably to whatever you teach, if they know what to expect. In teaching, I used to begin every lesson with a quick review of lessons present...
Any teacher that seeks to be successful in the classroom must incorporate good discipline habits for their students. From the very first day of class, students need to be aware of what type of behavior you expect in the classroom. A teacher needs to model the same behavior that t...
The greatest satisfaction that I get from teaching is derived when I invite students to join me in a journey of discovery. As often as I can, I attempt to develop a lesson in such a way that I introduce basic concepts initially and then ask students to assist me in finding a solu...
Teachers and parents need to be aware of how knowledge of number sense shortcuts could not only motivate a love of learning mathematics, but impact problems you encounter in real life. Let me illustrate some examples. Example 1: When multiplying a number ending in 5 with an even...
It is interesting to note that a lot of students from elementary school to college use calculators when solving mathematics problems. I am sad to say, that less than 1% know how to use a calculator efficiently. As a high school calculator coach and current tutor, I have spent abo...
During my lifetime, I have followed 2 simple rules that have kept me happy. Rule #1: Do what makes you happy and Rule #2: always try your best. These rules apply to the job you choose, relationships you have and for those choosing to compete in mathematics. I have loved mathemati...
Whether it is teaching, coaching or being a parent, everyone should have a plan for success. The first thing that needs to be done in developing a plan is to set the major goal of what needs to be accomplished. This goal can be the target for an individual or a team. After the ma...
During my career I have acquired a lot of knowledge about teaching in general and mathematics in particular. More than 30 years ago, I decided that I had an obligation to share the knowledge that I had acquired with teachers, parents, and students. I did this in a variety of ways...
Performing well under pressure is something that all of us want to do. When I was in college I was playing in the semi-finals of a badminton tournament. I had only scored 1 point and was 1 point from elimination. Incredibly, I scored 20 straight points to win and then proceeded t...
There are numerous instances in mathematics where common errors occur. In my opinion, the most frequent in my career occurred when 0 divided a number. Division by 0 occurs in elementary mathematics, coordinate geometry (finding slope) and calculus (finding limits). Explaining why...
