How to Be a More Effective Teacher
How to Teach Well Why do students struggle so much? Let’s break it down and see how perplexing this really is. If you’re teaching High School or higher you’re presumably an expert in your content area. You know what you’re teaching upside down, inside out, front, back, and so on. Not only that, if you’re … Read more
Back in Session
I’m trying a few new things this year in math. I will try to summarize how each week goes throughout the year and highlight successes and failures. This week I really tried to introduce the honors freshmen to “real” math. That is, some basic proofs, how generalize things in math and expose them to some … Read more
Textbooks Should Be Resources, Not Curricula
Textbooks are Resources NOT Curricula Teach like a good doctor practices medicine. Be prepared for a wide variety of issues, but always seek for the root of the problem so that your remedies may be most effective. One of the biggest hurdles in education, especially in High School, is getting those that wish to … Read more
Why Does the Order of Operations Work?
Why does the order of operations help us arrive at the correct calculation? How does it work, why is it PEMDAS? Why not addition first, then multiplication then groups, or something else? I took it upon myself to get to the bottom of this question because I realized that I am so familiar with manipulating … Read more
The Toaster Problem in Education
It’s easy to talk about shifting education towards a more concept based approach. But it’s hard to see what that really means in practice. I’m not a betting man, but would be willing to bet that upon inspection there are many things you think you understand conceptually in your topic, but you just feel that … Read more
Why Good Lessons Fail
Ever had a lesson you were THRILLED about? You loved it, it was fantastic, interesting, crisp, approachable and … wonderful in every possible fashion. And yet, when you delivered that lesson, it flopped! What gives? What was wrong with the lesson? In reality, there was probably nothing wrong with the lesson. Sure, all can be … Read more
What is Algebra?
This past month has been very busy here for The Bearded Math Man. I’ve learned a lot about things I have merely taken for granted and have shared most of them with you here on my site. And while I have a goal and a mission, the methods of achieving that goal are still forming. … Read more
Is Infinity Real?
How Many Primes are There Is Infinity Real Part 1 Teachers: The following is a discussion that can be had with students to create interest in mathematics by discussing two very easy to understand, but perplexing problems in mathematics. First, the nature of infinity. The second is the lack of pattern and order in the … Read more
The Problem with PEMDAS
The problem with PEMDAS This problem has really stirred a lot of interest and created a buzz on the internet. I can see why, it’s an easy one to miss. And yet, PEMDAS is such an easy thing to remember, the mnemonic devices offered make for a strong memory. So people passionately defend their answers. … Read more
The Square Root Club
If you’re a teacher, I have a short story that you can share, adapted to fit your own style, that you can use to address the biggest issue with teaching … students learn what they want to learn. Creating interest in mathematics for teenagers can sometimes be a challenge. One of the easiest ways to … Read more
