Reflection on Four Vignettes

PRO 201

Fall 2004

Reflection 1: Four Vignettes

Most of your reflections for this seminar will focus on your experiences leading your study group, but since the groups haven’t started yet, this one will focus on a reading, the first part of Chapter 9, “Teaching for Mathematical Proficiency” from Adding it Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics, published by the National Research Council in 2001 (note: this is an excellent book; highly recommended if you want to get a broad overview of mathematics education for K-8 in the U.S.).

While many of the reflections will focus on mathematics content, in this reflection, you will focus on pedagogy, the art or methodology of teaching.

1. The reading focuses on four very different classroom vignettes. As you read each vignette, reflect on the following (and keep notes in your notebook): Can you think of an example from your own education (college or before) of a teacher who used similar teaching methods? What worked about that pedagogy for you? What didn’t work? Have you used that kind of pedagogy in helping a friend with math or in any other teaching situation you’ve been in? How did it work? How could you tell? How do your observations as a learner and teacher compare to the book’s commentary on each vignette? If you haven’t experienced a methodology, speculate on some of the above questions based on how you think you might respond to it.

2. Now reflect on your role as a TA in light of the article. What kind(s) of pedagogy do you think the instructors in Math 130/140 choose most often? Why? How do you see your role as a TA in supporting student learning in the context of the course? Make some notes in your notebook.

3. Think some more about the article and your notes, and then write a reflection. Focus on areas that you find interesting for yourself. Your primary audience is your classmates, and one of the purposes of this reflection is to begin a dialogue with them that will help everyone in their roles as TA’s (and possibly future teachers).

4. Post your reflection in the appropriate folder on the Discussion Board at http://courses.wheelock.edu, on the MathTA’s page (there are more instructions for posting on the web page). Please don’t read other’s reflections before you post yours. People in the Wednesday section should post by Monday September 13, and people in the Friday section should post by Friday September 17 (but are encouraged to post earlier, so the Wed. people can read your post before their next class). If you wish, you may staple or paste a copy of your reflection in your notebook.

5. After the post deadline, read the other reflections from your class and from the other section, if possible. Respond online to some of the reflections. Your responses should add something to the conversation you can respectfully disagree, share a different/similar experience, tell how you handled a situation, etc.

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