Mrs. Spilman's Teaching Philosophy
The most important thing that I would like to teach my students is that math makes sense. The best way to learn math is by struggling to solve problems. Because of that this is not an easy class. I do not mean that I assign tons of homework. What I mean is that my students are going to have to think. If a student doesn't immediately see how to do a problem, I am not going to tell her how to do it. Students will work to develop their own way of solving problems, so that, in the end, each student's method will make sense to her.
I would also like my students to learn that making mistakes is not only okay, but that it is a great way to learn. I want to teach my students to take risks with their thinking and problem solving. They will make mistakes, but they will also gain a deeper understanding of the material that they are learning. Because I want my students to take risks, I do not grade homework. Homework is practice, and does not reflect a student's final learning.
As a parent, you do not need to know how to do the math to help your student. If he gets stuck on a problem, ask him questions, to see if you can guide him to a solution. Let him do the work of solving the problems. It is good for your child to struggle with their homework, but they should not be spending more than half-an-hour on one homework assignment. If your child has been working and struggling with their homework for more than half-an-hour, you should probably stop them, and have them come in to get help from me the next day.
I would also like my students to learn that making mistakes is not only okay, but that it is a great way to learn. I want to teach my students to take risks with their thinking and problem solving. They will make mistakes, but they will also gain a deeper understanding of the material that they are learning. Because I want my students to take risks, I do not grade homework. Homework is practice, and does not reflect a student's final learning.
As a parent, you do not need to know how to do the math to help your student. If he gets stuck on a problem, ask him questions, to see if you can guide him to a solution. Let him do the work of solving the problems. It is good for your child to struggle with their homework, but they should not be spending more than half-an-hour on one homework assignment. If your child has been working and struggling with their homework for more than half-an-hour, you should probably stop them, and have them come in to get help from me the next day.