Alusine Barrie: Math Teachers Simply Need to Smile More

Joke by me - A Trick to Get Sierra Leoneans Good At Math... Pass A Law That All Math Teachers Smile 3 Times for 3 Seconds in Each Lesson

Disclaimer: While there are a number of other factors affecting mathematics teaching and learning including a poor foundation, a lack of learning resources, that students don't practice out of school, that parents have a role to play, teacher remuneration, math teacher training etc., my focus today is really on us the Math Teachers; what we can do to get our students more excited about learning mathematics.

The matter is a serious one. Mathematics has been dubbed the queen of the sciences but there is no queen more hated than this one. I have been working with university graduates transitioning into Sierra Leone's labour force, and the fear of anything with numbers I see is scary. We try to innovate and transform our economy, yet our efforts will be seriously constrained if Sierra Leoneans continue to be so afraid of the foundational subject in all of Science and Technology.

Their fear of numbers and the ensuing conversation we had (where I blamed once more my early struggles with Mathematics to my Math teachers) reminded me to share my thoughts on the matter. Up until senior secondary school, I was very terrified of Maths myself; show me an equation and you automatically get me confused. It's always confused students when I tell them I was an Art student and went on to train as a Math Teacher in college, that seems to be taboo. My fear of everything Math evaporated  only when I met my senior school Maths teacher (called Gaza) and later a young Maths Lecturer during my 3-year Higher Teacher Training (one Mr. Momoh Kamara) at the Port Loko Teachers College (now EBKUST) where I specialized in teaching mathematics in secondary schools.

The truth is that I was well determined to go into the sciences ( I actually got my best grade in the BECE in Integrated Science) had it not been for my fear of maths! I loved science (largely because my Integrated Science teacher was amazing and was enthusiastic himself about the subject - a young man named Augustine Bundor now a medical doctor (God bless him, he was a great teacher). 

My best maths teachers all had the same traits. My best Math Teachers always wore a smile, they were enthusiastic about the subject, used a problem solving approach and encouraged us to ask questions and used questions and analogies to get us to think more deeply about what we were learning. They always tried to make us see the thinking behind the numbers and symbols on the board, it was more like solving a puzzle together. In my career as an educator, I am often reminded of these teachers and other great teachers I had at school and I've always strived to get my students excited about what they are learning and helped them see how the learning applies to their life outside of school. 

The truth is that Mathematics is a creative and exciting subject anyone can fall in love with, it has just been made fearful, and we as Math Teachers can do something about this. Here are three(3) approaches to get your learners more excited about learning Mathematics:

• Simply Smile More: I would argue that the job of a teacher is not necessarily to be 'the' fountain of knowledge, but rather to facilitate the process of learning. This is impossible if learners perceive Math teachers as too severe and unapproachable. Math teachers are often famous in schools for being 'strict' and it's not uncommon to see us wielding a stout cane in hand wearing a stern look on our faces. If we want to encourage our students to be excited about the subject, we need to make ourselves more approachable, three simple smiles sprinkled at the beginning, middle and end of your lessons will go a long way. Being severe doesn't make learning easier for students.
• Entertain Questions And Use Them To Help Students Reflect On Steps Taken To Solve A Problem: Many math teachers do not create an environment where students feel comfortable to ask questions. For learning to take place, the learner needs to be taken on a journey and at every step of that journey questions are a powerful way of getting them to reflect on why they suggest a particular operation on an equation for example.
• Use A Problem-Solving Approach In Teaching Math Concepts: Teachers do not use a problem solving approach that engages the learners. Instead what you see is teachers cracking a problem on their own at the blackboard while the students sit in silence and copy as the teacher continues to write. Mathematics is essentially the best tool we have for solving problems, so it should make sense that teachers take a problem and work with students 

Not every Sierra Leonean will become a Mathematician, but considering how foundational the subject is to every area of modern human endeavour, we need to make sure we as teachers are not a barrier in the learning process. If you are a school leader, try to encourage your math teachers to be more approachable and to utilize more active learning approaches in their lessons. The job we do is a noble one, let's do it with a great heart.

Happy Christmas and Seasons Greetings To all Teachers (especially Math Teachers) And Educators Out There Transforming The Lives Of Their Learners!

God Bless You!