|
|
|
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” — William Butler Yeats
Rosa Perez has taught math at Central High School for five years. She is from the Dominican Republic, where she earned a bachelor's degree in economics, took graduate courses in marketing, and then taught economics at the university level.
When I came to the United States, it didn't take me long to say, "Why not teach here?" Teaching high school math seemed the perfect fit, even though it would be new for me. I love to teach. I didn't know how much I'd enjoy teaching high school students, though. Every day is a new experience, a new challenge, and I like both. I'm always thinking to myself, "Are my students getting this? How can I explain it better?"
I believe in engaging my students the moment they walk in the door. We always begin with a "warm up" or "do now," a problem I throw out that gets them to apply what they are learning. When they enter the classroom, my students know they have something to do.
We do a lot of hands on activities, too. What better subject to do this with than geometry? When students learn about complex shapes by building them with their hands, the lessons stick.
I also believe in bringing writing and literature into the class. At first, students often rebel and say, "No, this isn't English!" With time, they see the value-though they still might not like it. We need to reinforce language skills across the curriculum. One of the ways I do this is by "re-telling." When we begin a new unit, I ask students to write and retell in their own words what they read in the textbook. Students are quick to jump into the numbers without taking the time to read the introductory text, look up new words, and understand the directions. In my class, we slow down and read and write before we begin the problems.
The past couple of years, I've been part of a team at Central with English, history, and science teachers. I borrow teaching strategies from them all the time-ways to make my math classes more fun but deeper too. I have students write "bio" poems about themselves. From the history teacher, I got the idea of having students create flip charts where they describe and illustrate key geometric concepts in sequence.
At the beginning of the year, my students often complain, "You give us too much work!" By the end of the quarter or semester, they are amazed at how much they've learned and accomplished. "Oh my gosh," they say, "I feel great."
People who don't know Central have the wrong perception of our students. They think most of them aren't bright or motivated. I think my math students are among the best in the city.
I love to teach and I love math. I hope it shows.
See cereal box project and how Perez brings writing into her class >>
Return to Learning in Action >>
Central High School | 70 Fricker St., Providence, RI 02903 | 401.456.9111
Copyright © 2005 |