How To Reduce Stress In Learning Maths
May 22nd, 2008 | by limeehai |Have you been caught having to memorise maths formulae, the mathematical concepts, the ”little” tricks, and the progressive steps in a given duration that many claimed to be too short?
“How to remember?”
“Why teach so fast?”
“Any simpler method?”
These are sampled questions that express the stress and anxiety that many students faced.
Though some of the components of teaching and learning can be simplified, they take time to implement with due consideration for many other factors like curriculum, key learning objectives, and quality.
What then can we do to lessen the stress that keep on coming?
The answer is to stay focus and be aware of the key objectives of the topic.
If the maths topic is about logarithm and its various laws, the objectives should be to apply the logarithmic laws to solve any related maths questions.
Do not ask questions like
“Why must I write the base with a smaller font size?” and
“Why do I need to add the individual logs to form a logarithmic product?”.
Asking questions is definitely good for learning, but in these instances, the focus is not to dig out the history part of logarithmic studies. The main aim is understanding the application of the laws in order to apply and solve problems. It is simply just that!
Trying to find out more than what the maths syllabus calls for within the short time frame is tantamount to facing learning disaster.
Just know that analysing too much into a subject or topic is equivalent to paralysing the learning mind. Stress, thus, appears and starts making friends.
Remove the unnecessary questions that blocks the main objectives and move along with the requirements. Pick up the extras only if you have the time and in a comfortable and relaxed mood.
Why cause undue stress and anxiety upon yourself if the key matters in maths learning is not treated properly? Contain the scope and stay focus!
Do not dwell on things that are not the main issue and causing mental blockage. Accept what is taught with the knowledge that they are meant for application.
This way, learning maths will not be that stressful and will become fun, since the basics can be managed comfortably with understanding.
2 Responses to “How To Reduce Stress In Learning Maths”
By Rene Grothmann on May 23, 2008 | Reply
I agree with you only in one point: It is always good to concentrate the teaching on one target, and not talk around about this and that too. This wisdom, however, is wide spread and self evident.
However, I must say that I completely disagree with the picture of math teaching you draw in this article. The “key matters” in learning math are not the application of rules to problems. This is, what each computer can do. This is drill, not education.
Why are you so vehemently opposed to asking questions? Questions are the core of mathematical educations. There is no wrong question! Stopping wrong questions is just the same as stopping thinking at all.
And, yes, if a little off-road thinking, asking, and trying, poses “stress” to the students, it has to be so! Students need to learn to handle this. They learn more from answering a wrong question, than by solving 100 problems with the same boring procedure.
Otherwise, I could just as well start training dogs.