“You have to help teach math,” my principal said as she looked at me. And, my mouth dropped open.
“But, I’m an English teacher. I didn’t go to school to teach math,” I replied. And, I wasn’t lying. I didn’t go to school to teach math. I didn’t go to school to teach elementary education. I just happened to work at an elementary school teaching 5th and 6th grade ELA. It wasn’t that I hated math or that I didn’t understand it. In fact, I made “A’s” in math in school. However, math was not my forte. So, I definitely didn’t want to teach it.
“I know. But, you can teach word problems. They are a form of reading,” my principal replied with a smirk and walked away.
And, thus begin my career with math word problems.
Let’s be honest, math word problems can pose a problem for our students. They don’t understand them. And, sometimes, we don’t either 🤷🏾♀️.
However, math word problems are a part of our everyday lives. They serve as gateways to real-world applications of mathematical concepts. Math word problems provide students with opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to solve practical problems encountered in everyday life and make learning more meaningful. So, stop shaking in your boots, and let’s dive right into how to effectively teach, use, and understand math word problems.
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