How To Fix Algebra

It has been so long since my last blog, and so much has happened since then! I'm excited to share the exciting things that have happened in my world, but today I want to talk about the major shift that has happened in my classroom this year.

I pursued a career as a math teacher because I loved my math classes when I was in high school. My teachers would ask us to memorize the steps to solve a particular type of problem, they would go through a few examples as a class, and then they would assign homework to practice solving these particular types of problems. The entire process was very black and white for me, and my systematic brain was extremely good at playing that game. 

It wasn't until I started introducing myself as an Algebra teacher that I began to realize the extreme pain and discomfort the vast majority of the public felt towards mathematics and specifically Algebra. I constantly hear negative remarks towards Algebra. Random strangers tell me about how they have never used Algebra a day in their life and friends distance themselves from me because I stir up old emotions they had for their high school Algebra teacher.

Where did we go wrong? Algebra should not be this painful! And, despite what people say about never using Algebra a day in their life, Algebra is an essential model to solving real-world problems. You may not derive formulas and use "x" as a variable, but you are using Algebra principals when you figure out how many boxes of flooring to purchase for your new floors. You use Algebra to estimate how many more miles you can squeeze out of this tank of gas. Those are Algebraic problems that your brain is processing and solving whether you recognize it or not. So, why do people hate Algebra so much?

I would argue that Algebra teachers are creating this hate and displeasure for math, and I think I can explain why. You see, for too many years Algebra teachers have done a poor job of applying meaning to Algebraic concepts. Sure we do some story problems, but only if they fit the exact model we are teaching at the moment. And besides, story problems are not creating meaning for our students. Despite our attempt at showing real-world relevance through story problems, our students don't believe our stories. They don't see a use for calculating the rate of the current as a boat travels 37 mph up the stream. And should they believe us? Has ANYONE ever had to do that in real life? I would argue no. The method of asking students to memorize steps for specific scenarios, then running them through some examples, and assigning 30 homework problems is broken. It is time Algebra teachers change the way we teach Algebra and help our students fall in love with the process of solving problems.

To change, I think Algebra teachers need to implement active learning. We need students out of their desks, measuring, building, designing, and creating. And, we need to purposely set them up so that they will need to understand Algebraic concepts to solve the problems they will encounter as they create. Learning is so much more meaningful when you learn a concept to help you make something you are passionate about. That is how you make learning stick. That is how you help students fall in love with learning and math. And, when it's all said and done, and our students are 35 years old, isn't that what is important? That we have a nation full of thinkers who love learning and solving problems? To me, that sounds much better than a country full of people who are bitter, frustrated, and angry with their high school Algebra teacher!

When we look at creating these types of learning experiences for our students, Algebra teachers are at a disadvantage. See, science teachers can use Inquiry Based Learning because their students are naturally curious about the world around them. Very few students are naturally curious about solving quadratic equations. So, we must be careful and purposeful when we design these learning experiences for our students. 

For me, Project Based Learning works best for Algebra. Idealy, I want to create projects so tasty that my students are hustling from the bus to get into my classroom. I try to create projects about zombies, business (money), music, or rockets. I try to keep my fingers on my students' pulse so that I have a good idea about topics they are passionate about. Then, I concoct an idea of something they will have to make or a problem that they will have to solve. I think about how many different Algebra concepts I can fit into one project, and I carefully walk myself through the project to ensure I set the trap. The trap is that my students will come face to face with an Algebra problem, and they will have to work their way through it in order to complete the project that they are so passionate about completing. When it all comes together, it is a beautiful process!

If you want to transform your classroom into an active learning environment and/or Project Based Learning, here are my tips to help you get started:

1) Insteading of solving story (word) problems, DO story problems. I remember reading a story problem about a boy throwing a ball. Then, I thought, why can't we go outside and throw a ball? We can measure how many seconds it is in the air. We can find the maximum height. So, anytime I look at word problems now, I try to find ways to DO the problems rather then simply read about them.

2) Search Pintrest, TeachersPayTeachers, yummymath.com, mathalicious.com, or any other resource for project ideas. I don't necessarily use projects from these sources, but I find ideas. Then, I tweak them to make them fit my classroom, my curriculum, and my students.

3) Search for problems in your life and adapt them to your class. I was at a fair this past summer, and my son and wife went on the ferris wheel. As I waited down below, I couldn't help but wonder how many feet they traveled as they made their way up and down the ferris wheel. I snapped a quick picture of the ferris wheel, and created a problem for my students to solve. We didn't have any exact measurements, but my students made some good estimates, and they found the total distance traveled during a ferris wheel ride.

Change isn't easy. We've been teaching Algebra the same way for a loooooong time. But, if we are in this for the students, if we want what is best for our students, change is something we have to make. Their future is more important than our anxiety for trying new things. Give it a try. See how it goes. I think you'll love where creating an active learning environment will take you!!