Let’s Laugh About Math: Promoting Confidence Through Humor
You’re sitting in your classroom, you’re watching your students struggle, and your class time is passing you by. Keep procrastinating, over and over. Well, maybe I’ll help them with their confidence next year…maybe next semester. No, do it right now!
You spend all day trying to build your students’ academic identity anyhow. Why don’t you make a change that’s going to improve their confidence in mathematics?
Why are you making it complicated? It’s easy – let’s laugh about math!
Call to Action
Incorporate mathematical and/or educational humor into your class at least once a week for the next four weeks (or longer). Then:
- Describe how you implemented humor into your lesson/class time.
- How comfortable did you feel during implementation?
- Take note of changes in students’ behavior and attitude over time. How did students respond?
- Do students seem more confident or comfortable speaking in front of a group?
About the Speaker
- 2nd-year teacher at Manual Arts Senior High School in Los Angeles
- A 3rd year Math for America, Los Angeles fellow
- In 2012, I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Mathematics
- In 2013, I graduated from the University of Southern California with an MA in Teaching
- I love cats & dancing
- My favorite food is cake
Updated 2015 Apr 21: Livetweeting
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