"Canceling the Clutter"

Against getting the Answer was an insightful piece by a very knowledgeable man. I found his comparison between the typical Japanese classroom and the American classroom very interesting.  The America teacher seeks for the most efficient way to teach their students how to get the answer to the problem while the Japanese teacher seeks to discover the mathematics that the students should learn from working on the problem.  

Its funny because I have always been “good at math” according to the books and letter grades, and bad at math in real life situations when it actually matters. I remember being in AP Calculus and all these advanced math classes and just strictly memorizing formulas yet never knowing why they worked.  “Just plug this in here and that in there and you get the right answer! And the right answer earns you an “A” in the class!”  Now when I look back, it really did nothing for me. I still don’t know the foundation of mathematics and it is all very confusing.  

My two semesters teaching were polar opposite of one another. My Kindergarten class used Treasures to the “T.” Word-for-word, I was not allowed to adventure outside the book. The reasoning behind it was so that my students would "test well."  It was a "gifted magnet" school in Arleta called Vena Avenue Elementary thats merits were solely reflected upon the students test scores. 

On the contorary, when I was student teaching the 4^th grade at CHIME Charter school in Woodland Hills, we were not allowed to do a single lesson out of the book! Every lesson was hand made into a game or inquiry-based lesson or hands-on interaction. The cognitive level of my students was a very beautiful thing.  There were always multiple ways of acquiring the answer and I would aspire to always teach them “Why” before “What.”  

Now I know the power and benefit in teaching the “Japanese” way. I am a product of the “American” way.  It is unfortunate to say that and stereotype it in that manner. I am certain there are teachers in both countries who do the opposite of that stereotype.  I think the stress that most America teachers have on testing really limits their horizons to the depth of what they can and cannot teach. Its unfortunate however I do see a shift in teaching methods. I am seeing a lot more hands on teaching methods and I am hopeful it will only get better with time J