CHAPTER FIVE
MATHEMATICS WORKING TOOLS
5.1 Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able:
i. define and explain classroom management
ii. explain the importance of classroom management and mention at least major components of classroom management
iii. explain the meaning of discipline
iv. identify qualities of disciplined students and teacher
v. define and explain the followings: mathematics syllabus, scheme of work, unit plan, daily plan
vi. Outlines the features of unit and daily plan
vii. Explain the importance of lesson plan in mathematics teaching
5.2 Introduction
Mathematics classroom management is the process of producing a conducive learning environment in the mathematics classroom, whereas classroom discipline is the amount to which students are self-disciplined and eager to apply themselves to the tasks assigned by the instructor. In this chapter, working tools include: syllabus, scheme of work, unit plan and lesson plan were explained.
5.3 Classroom Management
The process of comprehending, sustaining, inspiring, and regulating the people and material resources in the classroom for optimal achievement in any teaching-learning environment is referred to as classroom management or classroom administration. You must use the resources at your disposal effectively to accomplish the goals mentioned. There are various strategies of managing mathematics classroom, some of which includes:
§ Physical arrangement
§ Chalkboard arrangement
§ Class control
§ Time management
§ Sustenance of learners’ interest
§ Teachers’ personality
§ Managing behavior problem
5.4 Importance of Classroom Managements
§ It enables the teacher to choose an adequate topic to teach and set a correct objective for the lesson
§ It helps the teacher to choose an adequate disciplinary measure and utilize this effectively in class.
§ It enables him to prepare well for is lesson by choosing correct instructional material and having a good master of his subject matter in order to have the class under his control.
§ It enables him to maintain a system of records that provides easy asses to information needed for making managerial discussions.
§ It leads to teacher-student and student-student relationship which will eventually leads to effective teaching- learning situation.
5.5 Disciplines in the Class Room
Discipline is the training of the mind and character of learners so as to make them obedient to the authority and developed self-control. Classroom discipline is the instruction that instills in students the habits of self-restraint, orderliness, good behavior, collaboration, and getting the most out of oneself. The tactics a teacher employs to regulate student actions and attitudes during instructional time constitute classroom discipline. A teacher who employs consistent discipline tactics manages the classroom more effectively than one who does not. Indiscipline in the other hand is the act of deviating from the accepted rules and norms of the class or society such deviation may be in form of lying, stealing, sex offence, disobedience, truancy, assault, insult, smoking, taking hard drugs and mass demonstration. Causes of indiscipline include: favoritism; rules not enforce; communication gap, lack of good leadership; teachers’ unpreparedness; bad habit.
5.6 Effective Classroom Discipline
For effective classroom discipline, the following can be helpful:
1. Maintain your dignity: Be a good example or model. Do not get too popular with students. Don’t lower your dignity by getting into unnecessary argument, confrontation, humiliation and blanket punishment with students/pupils.
2. Be consistent: Set acceptable standards for work. Set high standards of behavior and apply rules firmly and fairly. Do not relax on your principles. Show no favoritism in dealing with misbehavior. Be just and fair. Do not take action over a student if you have lost your temper. Give respect and accept respect. Be sympathetic with the students.
3. Be resolute in your decision-making in order to maintain your power in the classroom. Accomplish not tell kids what you want them to do in an apologetic manner; instead, use authoritative tones that indicate you demand obedience. Never issue a threat that you are unwilling to follow out. Judge only when all relevant information is revealed.
4. Use punishment and reward judiciously: punishment should attempt to halt or remedy inappropriate behavior. Rewards should be utilized to recognize and reward achievement and effort. Reward can function as an incentive. Punishment should never be so light that it becomes absurd, and rewards should never be so simple to obtain that they lose their value and worth. Punishment should always be proportional to both the offense and the perpetrator.
5. Be self-critical: Let the students see you as you are, that is, be yourself to avoid being embarrassed. To command authority, teacher must be aware of his/her weakness and strength. In the classroom, he should arrive before the class and begin on time, be prepared for the lesson, keep everyone occupied and interested, motivated all students, mark all work promptly and constructively encourage student contribution and try to achieve a working harmony.
5.7 Mathematics Syllabus
The mathematics curriculum is the outline of the mathematical principles to be studied. It is organized or structured according to the level or year of education in an effort to improve the teaching and learning process.
5.8 Mathematics Scheme of Work
A mathematics plan of work is a weekly grouping of mathematics curriculum subjects. This is accomplished by separating the mathematics curriculum into three sections, one for each term of the school year. Thus, mathematics scheme of work comprises of a goal and an itemized overview of the mathematics instructor to re-examine the number of activities that needed to be covered (i.e., prior knowledge) and make some reference to this mathematics scheme of work. In constructing a mathematics program of work from a mathematical curriculum, the following considerations must be made:
§ The necessity for logical sequencing
§ The age, aptitude, and prior knowledge of the students
§ The amount of time necessary for each topic
§ The number of effective weeks of learning in a term or year
§ The number of periods each week
§ The need for materials and resources
5.8.1 Characteristics of Effective Mathematics Work Plan
A quality mathematics lesson plan must have the following elements:
§ Periods
§ Topics
§ Subtopics
§ Instructional Materials
§ Instructional Objectives
§ Content/Teacher Activities
§ Student Activities
§ Evaluation
§ Bibliography
5.8.2 Advantages of Mathematics Work Plan
The following are some advantages or benefits of plotting:
§ A solid plan of work drawn out at the beginning of the term is a helpful guide for mathematics teachers to know how much material has to be covered and how much time they will need to complete it.
§ It aids the mathematics teacher in allocating time for each topic item and in planning assessment in advance.
§ The mathematics teacher utilizes the scheme of work to identify relevant learning experiences with appropriate examples.
§ Mathematics scheme of work enables school administrators and mathematics teachers to meet the special needs of students;
§ It helps to ensure the continuity and coherence of the learning process;
§ Mathematics scheme of work is a good resource for instructional guides but not masters in mathematics teaching
5.9 Lesson Plan for Mathematics Teaching
Notably, it is crucial to plan ahead of time so that the mathematics instructor is well-versed in the material and aware of any potential obstacles that may occur, so that the appropriate answers are available before the lessons are presented. In mathematics education, the lesson plan is the final stage of curriculum implementation and a detailed study of how a task will be taught throughout the session. It is intended to assist teachers in delivering successful and efficient math’s lessons. Typically, there are two types of instructional plans: unit plans and daily plans.
5.9.1 Unit Lesson Plan
A unit plan is a plan designed to cover the work on a given topic for two or three days, a week, or more per week according to the mathematical scheme of work. One, two, or three weeks are always stated for the work to be completed in a particular mathematical area. The purpose of a unit plan is to organize the entire topic, regardless of how long it may take to teach. The unit's objectives, content to be taught, teaching technique, and assessment content are outlined in the unit plan. The unit plan contains the principal components. These include:
i. Subjects
ii. Goals
iii. Instructional materials
iv. Basic knowledge vs content, i.e., the number of lessons to be taught and the topic of each lesson, should be clearly defined.
instructional strategy
vii. Final assessment
viii. References
Unit Scheme Model Lesson Class: Lower Basic V
Measurements of Central Tendency
Objective: Students must: i. Sort the grades in ascending and descending order
ii. Compile scores into a frequency distribution table
iii. Compute for median, mode and mean
Teaching Supplies: chalkboard, ruler, student score sheets
Essential Knowledge: counting the digits 1 through 100
Content: Four lessons: Mode, Median, and Mean
Introduction to ascending and descending order
Lesson 2: Frequency distribution table drawing
3. Determine the median and mode of a score distribution
Lesson 4: mean calculation
Method: the related ideas were clearly taught using examples. The method is repeated. Students were given classwork and assignments for evaluation.
References: Mathematics fundamentals for Nigerian Schools Printed by MAN
5.9.2 Lesson Plan Daily
A lesson plan is a teacher's planned and arranged learning activities centered on a certain topic, for a specific set of students in a class, and for a thirty-five, forty-five, or one-hour lesson time. Lesson plan is a clearly, methodically, and orderly planned procedure of teaching technique, teaching facts, and teaching materials that a teacher has prepared for use in delivering a lesson in order to reach the lesson's projected purpose. The objective of the lesson plan is to allow the instructor move rationally without being restricted by his or her notes. A lesson plan should not restrict the teacher's approach and should be flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen circumstances that may happen during the class.
5.9.3 Elements of Everyday Lesson Plan
The format of the lesson play may vary, but it should generally include the following information: Topic/Sub-topic, Class, Duration, Date, Specific Behavioral Objectives, Entry/Entering Behavior, Introduction, Instructional Material/Resources, Presentation/Development of the Content/Instructional Procedures, Evaluation, and Conclusion.
This relates to the component of the subject that the instructor want to teach, especially within a specific time frame. In the absence of a clear topic, the instructor is doomed to fail. Likewise, it should be neither too wide nor too narrow to be covered within the lesson's allowed time. Occasionally, it may be essential to further dissect an issue. Therefore, sub-topics are necessary to guarantee that the instructor's attention is focused. For instance;
Types of fractions or addition and subtraction of fractions are the subject of Fraction, Sub.
Class: Specify the Class clearly. Example Grade 5 or Grade II
Duration: This indicates how much time the instructor has to complete a certain lesson. The instructor should prepare his or her lessons so that they may be completed properly within the allotted time.
Date: This specifies the date on which the teacher intended to teach the lesson. It allows the instructor to enter accurately in the record book what he or she has taught. Example: October 15, 2022
Specific Behavioural Goal
It outlines the conduct that the instructor anticipates his pupils or students to display following a lecture. In other words, specified or performance objectives are statements that indicate what the learner should be able to do or achieve upon completion of a particular learning endeavor. It is essential to establish behavioral objectives in terms that can be measured and observed. The instructor should avoid using overly vague terms such as "to know," "to grasp," and "to value" when setting objectives. However, words and phrases such as "to write", "to draw", "compute, solve, discriminate, differentiate, list, and state" can be used to express particular behavioral/instructional goals. The behavioral objective statement influences the instructor's decisions on content, approach, and evaluation.
Entry and Entry Behaviors
This is a component that several educators discover perplexing. Many instructors, particularly student-instructors, believed it to be any prior learning. It is not unusual for a teacher to reference the last lesson he or she taught as prior knowledge or entry behavior, despite the fact that the lesson has no relevance to the current topic/lesson. However, entrance behavior refers to the prior information the instructor assumes the pupils/students have that is relevant to the current topic/lesson and upon which the new lesson might build. It should be highlighted that anything the instructor believes the students already know must be validated during the lesson's introduction.
Introduction
This section of the lesson plan is as essential as describing the behavioral objectives. One may say that the success or failure of every instruction rests heavily on what occurs here. This is when the instructor piques the students' interest in the lesson's subject matter. There are several methods in which a teacher might do this. One approach to achieve this is by questioning them on their expected entering behavior. Others include describing the lesson's objective(s) to the class; the teacher explains precisely what the pupils will be able to perform upon completion of training. It is also possible to do so by giving a brief but engaging tale that connects to the issue at hand, or by simply elevating an object or piece of equipment for them to explain. Or any other method known to put kids at ease before to takeoff.
Pedagogical Materials/Resources
These items are brought into the classroom by the teacher to enhance the students' understanding of his lesson. Those things aid teaching and learning and concretize abstract concepts. Each subject lends itself to the utilization of particular sorts of content. Material resources include graphs, actual items, and real or created graphics on cardboard paper. It should be highlighted that instructional materials alone do not make a lesson relevant or simple to learn; they are only beneficial to the extent that they are appropriate and are handled creatively by the instructor.
Presentation
Presentation is the core of a lesson plan, which consists of learning activities and resources, as well as the "how" and "what" for achieving set objectives. In other words, the presentation depicts the activities of the teacher, the students, and other information. Typically, presentation or instructional procedures are structured as a series of phases. Each phase describes the teacher's and students'/pupils' responsibilities.
Evaluation
This is another lesson plan step. The instructor tests or evaluates the pupils' understanding of the material. He may pose questions to the students. Whatever he does in terms of evaluation is intended to determine whether or not the students can demonstrate mastery of the lesson's essential component(s). The outcome will indicate whether the teacher should re-teach the lesson or correct the students' improper learning. Evaluation questions must pertain to the material presented and be clearly articulated.
Conclusion
This is an additional phase of the lesson plan that many teachers, particularly student-teachers or novices, find confusing. The conclusion should be a task that may be completed in class or at home. Questions in the conclusion should be more difficult than those in the evaluation.
The stronger the structure of a class and the specificity of its objectives, the better the rate of student success. Whoever fails to plan has failed to plan.
Daily Plan Lesson Model
Date: 15th August 2022
Name of Teacher: Aliyu Garba
School: Nasafaru Primary School
Class: Lower Basic One (1)
Number in Roll: 45
Sex: Mixed
Average Age 6 years
Subject: Mathematics
Topic: Whole Number (1-5)
Time: 08:00am – 08:30am
Period: 1st
Duration: 35 minutes
Instructional Material: Sticks, bottle tops, tins, pebbles, counting bars, etc.
Behavioral Objectives: By the end of the lesson, the pupils should be able to:
i. Association numbers with objects
ii. They should also be able to show the joy of using the numbers with objects.
Introduction (Entry Behavior): The teacher relates the previous express and /or knowledge with the present lesson e.g.
i. How many chairs do you have?
ii. How many eyes do you have? and so on
Presentation
Step I: The teacher presents the lesson by showing charts carrying number of different objects e.g.
The pupils should be asked about what they must have seen e.g. 1, 2, 3 etc.
Step II: The children should be given different objects to group and count e.g. = 1 = 2 = 3.
More activity on counting and grouping.
Evaluation: The lesson should be evaluated by asking the children questions based on the topic e.g.
i. identify the number of each object according to the group e.g.
= 1
= 2
= 3
= 4
= 5
ii. Count and identify numbers from 1-5
iii. Arrange objects according to numbers e.g.
3 = 4 = 5 =
Conclusion: The teacher summarizes the lesson for the children and finally gives them work & assignment e.g.
1. Bring 2 tins from your home
2. You bring 4 sticks
3. Bring 5 bottles tops tomorrow
5.10 Importance of Lesson Plan
§ A teacher who plans his lesson is less likely to waste class-time and is more likely to succeed where others fail;
§ Lesson planning enables the teacher to give consideration to such factors as the nature of the topic to be taught, the best way to put it across, and the possible problems learner may have learning it;
§ Lesson planning also gives the teacher confidence in front of his class and enhances a logical and sequential presentation of learning experiences;
§ • It helps the teacher streamline the content of his teaching so that it is neither too much nor too little for the available time;
§ It helps him prepare ready-made questions that direct the students to the correct objectives;
§ It helps him identify the teaching aids required for teaching the lesson.
§ It helps avoid the emergence of significant instances of disobedience.
Student Activity
1. Differentiate between scheme of work and syllabus
2. What is classroom management
3. Distinguish between classroom management and classroom discipline
4. Enumerate qualities of a disciplined students
5. Outline the importance of classroom management
6. Mention six major areas of classroom management
7. What is unit lesson plan
8. Mention and explain the major component of daily lesson plan
9. Advance five reasons why a mathematics needs to draw a scheme of work
10. Write behavioral objectives for the topics
a. Recognition of numbers in Nursery two
b. Ratio
c. Profit and Loss
d. Mean
e. Variation
5.11 Summary
This chapter covered detailed discussion of classroom management and classroom discipline. It showed that for the mathematics teacher to management his classroom well, he/she needs to manage his chalk board, sustain students’ interest, and needs to communicate well, watch his personality. Discipline is discussed as the extents to learner areself-controlledand willingness applies themselves to their tasks. Syllabus and scheme of work were explained as working tools, including lesson plan.
References
National Teachers’ Institute, Kaduna (2000). Subject methods: Mathematics (PGDE BY DLS) National Teachers’ Institute, Kaduna (2012). Effective classroom management skills
Niger State College of Education (2010). A handbook in mathematics for tertiary institution