Advice to Teachers from Johnnie Mullin





Introduction
The "Advice to Teachers" entries in the IAE-pedia are mainly written by long-time educators who want to share their accumulated wisdom. They are responding to the following request:


 * Based on your many years of experience as a teacher and teacher of teachers, what words of advice would you like to pass on to all preservice and inservice teachers? Keep in mind that the goal is to help improve education for all students throughout the world. Your response can be quite general and/or focus at particular grade levels and in particular discipline areas,

Words of Advice About Math Education
A Brief Story about Teaching Math in Kindergarten

By Johnnie Mullin

Over a recent lunch, a long time mentor asked me to relate any story I could remember about my years as a K-12 teacher. The following is a story about another teacher in another classroom. I shared a computer lab with a kindergarten teacher. I was in awe of her ability to manage many 5-6 year olds in a cohesive, organized, and positive learning environment over a period of several hours. Of particular note, was her ability to fully integrated math education in every facet of her teaching. Following is an observational retrospective account of what I saw and learned about math education in Kindergarten.

I was visiting in the morning before the children arrived. Ms. Janet Kennedy was preparing her classroom for a busy day with 20 kindergartners. Tables cleaned, each place with a white placemat, as one would prepare for dining. Another area of the room had colored mats on the floor, and still another area, little chairs in a semicircle. All arranged as if in a loft apartment; lots of space divided for different tasks.

The young students began arriving, knowing just where to put their coats, backpacks, and lunches. All gathered in the semicircle area. After a good morning to all, Janet said, "How many of us are here today?" Every student began counting everyone in the class. Individually and collectively, they answered. If correct, Janet enthusiastically replied "yes!" If incorrect, Janet said, "let's give that another try."

I observed not only Janet's infectious energy, but her consistent and dedicated focus on math education. Throughout the day every subject, every item, every activity—even recess—included practicing math.

While sitting in the semicircle, Janet asked the students to identify the date on a big calendar, the day of the week and how many days had passed since January 1st. She asked how many days were in the year and to identify where they found the information (written in smaller characters on the big calendar). Janet moved onto Birthdays of the month. Again what day and what place in the week et al.

Janet introduced the first group work of the day. She explained that those who went to the colored mats were to pick out ten blocks of any color and at least four different sizes. The students at the table were told to write down numbers from one to 10 anywhere on the placemat. An aide was ready to help the students at the table while Janet sat on the floor and helped students arrange the blocks in interesting shapes. Janet demonstrated that several little blocks could make up a bigger block. The students were asked questions like “how many little blocks does it take to make a blue block?”

The students at the table were to draw a line from any number to any other number. They were then asked what line they drew from what number to what number. They were then asked to figure out “how many numbers away” was the first number to the second number.

These activities were repeated until all students had several opportunities to play and respond. The groups then switched and the exercises were repeated.

During a reading period, Janet asked how many books had the class read. The students looked up to a colorful arrangement of posters, made by the students, and began to count. When finished Janet said that was a lot of books but the had many more to go before the end of the year. “How many more books can we read before the end of the year?” The students saw an arrangement of posters not yet filled in on the “reading line.” Quietly, they counted the blank posters. They responded they had 36 more books to read that year.

During an art activity, the students were asked to use at least 10 colors to create a thank you note to the parents’ club for their generous donation. She asked the students to use different shapes and lines: squares, triangles, rectangles, and circles. Janet circulated helping and asking how many shapes, how many colors and what kinds of shapes did they use.

During recess lining up was done by counting and lining up by two’s. On the playground before free time, they students played a counting game similar to kickball with a twist. The bases were given numbers. The students ran the bases and Janet helped them add the bases.

In all, this was a most remarkable day. I was much taken with the positive environment in which the students responded to math. They were encouraged to figure things out. Help was always available, but the majority of the students appeared to very much enjoy trying to figure do it on their own. They could and generally did problem solve on their own. The students were immersed into an environment in which math was an integral part of the whole curriculum. Math education was not isolated from other disciplines, but rather totally integrated into the classroom setting so as to become transparent. I was aware that Janet had put a great deal of preparation into her lesson, but as she explained later, “When you do this everyday, it becomes second nature to your overall planning.” “You have an overall goal for the year and every day you work on it step by little step.”

Leaving, I thanked Janet for a most enlightening day and I commented that had I been introduced to math like this, I would have very much enjoyed the discovery and study of math. As it was, I was told to begin on page one and finish on page 324 which made for much different math learning experience.

Comment by David Moursund
This is an excellent example of a way to improve our math education system. n the example, math (math education) is a routine part of a child's learning throughout the school day. Contrast this with math being taught during a specific and limited time period, and then essentially ignored for the rest of the day.

About Johnnie Mullin
Johnnie Mullin was born and raised in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. After receiving her Masters Degree, she taught school in Oregon in the Ashland/Medford area before moving to Eugene. Johnnie has taught 30+ years in the K-12, community college, university, and adult learning environments. In 2001 she received her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Management with an emphasis in Technology. Her interests include, physical fitness, sewing, writing, and teaching. She is currently an adjunct instructor at Lane Community College where she works primarily with seniors to help them acquire better skills in the use of computer technology.

Author
Johnnie Mullin.