This is the most famous quote in any mathematics teacher’s classroom.  I laugh inside every time I hear one of my lovely students say it.  Mathematics is a subject that does not produce immediate “real world” results at the high school level, especially in the intermediate courses.  Students are turned off by the subject because they do not see its importance in their world.  Who wants to learn theory…BORING!!!  This is exactly why teachers need to make learning mathematics fun and relevant. 

            When we teachers are lectured at during our exciting staff development meetings, we grow bored of listening to the theory about how some new idea or (old idea revised) will help students learn better.  I have always learned better when I am involved with the implementation of how the idea works.  I have enjoyed getting up and acting out the idea and developing my own lessons based on how the idea being taught could be relevant to my classroom. 

I have always enjoyed learning new ideas and concepts, but that is me.  I have a few students that love to learn math regardless of how I teach it…they just love to learn in general.  It’s the other students who need to see some type of relevance of what they are learning and how it could benefit their lives and world around them.  Teachers need to make the students want more…this is the reason why I love to teach! 

                I personally like to make as many hands on activities as possible.  I like to start my lessons with how this concept they are learning is used in our world and who uses it.  My students know that the material they are learning is a stepping stone to new ideas and inventions to better our world.  I always tell them you must learn to roll over before you can sit-up and you must learn to sit-up before you crawl…and the level we are at now is the rolling over stage.  My students know that the high school math has been around for a long time but we must start at the beginning to understand the end.

 I have had many conversations with engineers and scientists they have stated that they may not use the math they were taught in high school and college, but they use the logical and analytical skills that math taught them to better their products and inventions.  The logical sequencing that helps all students solve problems in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Pre-calculus is the same process that solves many of the problems in the world.  See math is useful.  Just ask a history teacher!!!

James Nierstedt

Thomas Edison High School