Synthesis of this Course

This course has helped me to realize the importance of incorporating the following ideas into my future mathematics classroom:

-evaluating and being aware of student comprehension as I teach, since comprehension allows students to grasp concepts and relationships found in mathematics;
-teaching and using vocabulary in a way that students can understand and master for themselves;
-encouraging oral discussions as a form of student-to-student teaching and as a way of communicating ideas on mathematics topics;
-using writing as a way to express ideas and understanding, as well as a form of assessment;
-creating a classroom that is conducive to supporting high self-efficacy levels and motivated learning by choosing affective dimensions of literacy (i.e. text selection that is appropriate for diverse audiences);
-becoming a critically literate teacher who values the empowerment of the student and who hopes to teach lifelong learning skills;
-differentiating instruction by providing students with choices and by educating them through different viewpoints, as well as being aware of the needs of English language learners.

I feel, after learning about all of these different areas, that each of these topics change and impact the teaching of an educator for the better. I have been convinced by research and by our class discussions that the implementation of these ideas and teaching styles can help to change the mathematics classroom from a training center to an empowering place of learning, education, and discovery.

As we started and continued through the semester, some of these subjects seemed distant and unconnected for me. However, as we took our oral final and discussed each area in depth, the big picture seemed so clear to me - it all came together. To incorporate a single one of these ideas is not enough because they are all interlaced and overlapping; to get the fullest effect, a teacher has to try to implement them all. I know that I will have a lot of struggles in the beginning of my career with these goals. But I also know that as I become more experienced, that it will be easier for me to notice changes that need to made in order to use and incorporate these ideas more effectively.