Teaching strategies

Coping with the challenges of math instruction

February 13, 2018

Language barriers, pronounced differences in skill levels, a lack of engaging content-- elementary teachers report these are some of the biggest hurdles they face when teaching math. But how do teachers cope with these challenges?

We recently asked elementary math teachers from across Canada that very question. These educators have been teaching anywhere from 2 to 11 years, work in districts from a mix of socioeconomic backgrounds and are mostly from urban, public schools.

Here are the top challenges they report facing in their math lessons--along with their methods for coping with these hurdles.

Language issues create barriers to math instruction

Whether you have ESL students, students with behaviour issues, or text books that are simply too wordy, some students don’t understand the language of a math question, let alone the math itself.

How teachers cope

The teachers we spoke with say it’s tough, but there are ways to overcome language barriers in math. Here’s what they suggest;

  • Train students to look for cue words like “add” and “subtract”.
  • Find or create resources and worksheets that are more visual and tie them into the curriculum.

Inquiry-based learning is expected but difficult

Even in the higher grade levels of elementary school, teachers say many students’ basic binary skills just aren’t strong enough for teachers to layer on inquiry-based learning. Students can feel overwhelmed and start to dislike math.

How teachers cope

Many teachers focus on growing binary skills while putting their own twist on inquiry-based learning to meet their students’ needs. Here are a few of their approaches.

  • Create “drills” for basic math skills. Many teachers search the internet for challenges such as 5 minutes to finish 50 math questions.
  • Give students a problem to solve but front-load them with a few strategies.
  • When giving students word-problems, diversify for each student’s abilities. Have some students skip questions while others try the most advanced. (Teachers stress it’s important to keep this approach personal and casual while stressing to students that “We’re all good at something different.”)
  • Create multi-page practice sheets where students can feel their progress as they get to switch to a new page.
  • If possible, hire a supply teacher for two weeks to cover the class while you spend 35 minute sessions working on math skills with small groups of students.

There’s a lack of creative and relevant teaching content

Teachers report that when math is presented in a way that is relevant and interesting for students, engagement levels go up. But finding that content isn’t always easy.

How teachers cope

The teachers we spoke with use some or all of the following methods to find and create materials that grab students’ attention and engage them in math lessons.

  • Tap into what’s interesting to your students such as sports stats, music, making things and use these topics in your lessons.
  • Use engaging songs and books.
  • Try integrating math learning in an inventive way. (One teacher from a Band Council School invites elders in for a class of bartering and trading.
  • Don’t forget to seek ideas from other teachers and then share your learning and best curriculum practices. At one district, six teachers from five schools meet monthly to do just this. You can share within your school or use social media to share on a wider scale.

Finding the best math strategy for each student takes time

DStudents don’t all learn the same way, but finding and using a host of strategies can be disruptive and time consuming.

How teachers cope

Here are a couple of ideas teachers shared for grouping students together to test and apply different math strategies. When students are grouped together based on the strategies that work best for them, they can help each other and classes are more manageable.

  • Some teachers create colour-coded work groups based on children’s levels (these aren’t labelled, to protect student self esteem). The goal is to move up to the next colour.
  • Hold weekly “Partner Math” sessions where pairs of students work together to solve problems. Bonus: students practice math and communication skills!

Assessing student understanding is tough

Tests create a lot of stress for some students, assessment software is expensive and one-on-one assessments are time consuming.

How teachers cope

Of course, there’s no magic bullet for measuring a student’s actual understanding, but teachers have a few suggestions to help you gauge whether or not your students grasp a concept.

  • Do shorter math assessments more frequently.
  • Ask three open-ended questions to first assess students’ math skill level.
  • Use rich learning tasks that students can answer any way they choose.

Teaching math isn’t easy--especially in the later years of elementary. There is increased pressure from parents for students to succeed, student interest in math is waning and there’s the stress of preparing students for junior high.

But teachers are resourceful, spirited, and most of all willing to go to great lengths to help students succeed.