"Greatest" Learning Experience

I too am amazed that we are once again finished another semester at MUN. Seems like just a few weeks ago, I was thinking to myself that there is no way that I will find the time to get everything finished on time, but we all made it!(and everything is past in!) So for our final blog post, we are required to respond to the following question: 


What was your greatest 'learning' this semester with regard to teaching children mathematics? How has your thinking shifted?


This was actually the question that I wondered the most about for the interview that we were supposed to have but didn't get to because of the crazy NL weather. (I guess that was a learning experience in itself - never depend on any type of schedule in the winter months of NL because last-minute nor'easters can come out of nowhere and put those plans to a halt. But as Mary knew previously, since I show my emotions on my face very easily ;) that I was not too too upset! haha) 

So what have I learned throughout the course and how has my thinking shifted? 
I believe I learned many valuable things through our fun-filled class discussions as well as course assignments. I learned simple things like:
- never put students on any time pressures to complete math problems
- make use of the many manipulative that are available 
- and fractions are so much easier than we all think they are! 

But I would have to say my greatest insight from the term is that mathematics is an ongoing subject and not just one that gets done. I came to the course with the idea of teaching math to students just by tackling through the SCO's that are in the curriculum guides and getting it done that way. However, through the semester I learned that math is a lot more than just the worksheets, rules, and formulas that I experienced while I was in elementary school myself. Math is about allowing students to become greater problem solvers. Therefore by including open-ended problems in your classroom, providing manipulatives for students to use, and different strategies, students learn to acquire creative problem solving skills. So much as changed from the time when I was an elementary student, and I look forward to the challenge of a new approach to mathematical teaching and making math FUN for my future students!

Mary, you have been an amazing professor with the amount of care you show for us and that has been very appreciated. I wish you and your baby all the best. You are about to embark on one of life's most rewarding rollercoasters!