Learning to Learn Math

Everyone has heard someone say, "I am not any good at math." There is plenty of educational theory that explains away student performance in math. Special service departments talk about math disabilities, theorists discuss abstract versus concrete learners, and some chalk it up to bad luck. This space is not meant to debate the "why" that lies behind ineptness at math, rather my goal is to leave that baggage at the virtual door and rather to turn our attention to the "what." That is "what" can we do to improve math performance.

I believe what is often called a disability can actually be described as ignorance. Not ignorance of the math content, but rather ignorance on how to learn the math. As you read this page you will see that learning theories seem endless. It seems counterintuitive that a 15 year old high school student would know how to learn when thousands of PhD's cannot even come close to a consensus on how people learn.

What we do know is that some people are born with extraordinary learning capability and are going to learn no matter what. Conversely it is indisputable that some people have legitimate learning disabilities that prevent them from properly processing information.

However, I belive what seperates the middle section of learners is not as much intelligence as skills. Some of those skills include organization, hand writing, concentration, work ethic, and others. These skills are important for high achievement in all subject areas. There is one skill however that is essential for math students. Every successful student goes through a process of self assessment.

Self assessment is a process that most high achieving students perform without even realizing it. Every piece of information they encounter goes through a rigorous process of self assessment. They subconsciously ask questions like:

"Do I understand this?"

"Did I already know this?"

"What Am I missing?"

For these students homework is performed similar to a test. It is not a task to be completed, but rather a chance to see if they understand the material or more importantly an opportunity to discover gaps in their knowledge. These questions lead the students to more inquisitive, to pay closer attention and to develop confidence in their ability to perform the skill on a test.

Most low achieving students do not treat information this way. The information goes in one ear and out the proverbial other.

For them, there is no engagement with the content. It is a task to be completed rather than a an opportunity to learn and a chance to self assess. One minute they correctly perform a skill, yet ten minutes later the same problem stumped them. The problem is not that they forgot, the problem is they never checked to see if they learned it in the first place.

Thus as a teacher I think it is important to not only teach my content, but rather to provide a means of self assessment for my students and to emphasize its importantance.

Here are some practical examples of how good learners use "self assessment":

1) Work odd problems - Good students work the odd problems in their book to see if they understand the material. If they don't then they seek intervention through a tutor, example problems, the internet, a friend or the teacher.

2) Do the example problems in class - It is common for students to "watch and copy" during lectures. Whenever a teacher begins an example, it is prudent for the student to attempt the problem before looking at the teachers work. A good teacher will work slow enough such that students can attempt problems first. This is valuable because it allows students to ask questions about what they do not understand.

3) Rework homework problems before a test - This was my tried and true method of studying for math tests. I would go back and rework homework problems that were assigned. This was beneficial for two reasons. It allowed me to practice problems the teacher had picked and it allowed me to practice problems I already had solutions to. This way I was able to find my mistakes and gaps in my knowledge.