Imaginary letters from former students & reflection

Dear Mr. O'Toole,

This is Timmy.  I was a grade 10 student in your math class 10 years ago!  I was thinking about you recently and wanted to write a little note.  I don't know if you knew this, but after grade 10 I dropped out of the foundations of math to the essentials of math class.  I always found it difficult to keep up in class.  The rate at which you went through the material, though good for others, was always way too fast for me.  And then, there was the homework.  Oh, you assigned so much homework!  I could never get through more than half of it.  My parents could not afford a tutor for me, so I had no choice but to drop foundations math.  Though now, I sort of wished that I could have received some more help, so that universities would have looked better upon my report cards!

Timmy.


Dear Mr. O'Toole,

This is Amanda.  I was part of your grade 12 math class 10 years ago.  I just wanted to write to say how much I enjoyed math in your class, and how satisfying it was to be able to understand the material you gave us.  You always went at a good pace, with clear explanations, so that I was able to keep up with all the school work and even have time to be part of the math club.  You seemed to love math a lot, and communicated it in a passionate way.  Thank you for helping me to do well in class, which prepared me for later in the future.

Amanda

Reflection:
Perhaps my greatest struggle in teaching will have to do with the different levels of ability in math that I will encounter among students.  Some students will be stronger, others not so strong.  I think that I am going to have to find a way to communicate the material to all, while at the same time adapting it to certain learners through ways of teaching and through other strategies.  It will take experience, I think, to be very in-tune to the students' needs, and to learn different approaches which will help all the students in my class.  The issue about homework is a big one.  I will somehow have to try to keep my students accountable to the work that I give them.
This activity helped me to think from the perspective of the student, who does not always perceive things in the same way as the teacher does.  The teacher needs to be very understanding of every individual person.