Welcome Readers!

Hello all!

My name is Connor Sclater and I am currently in my fifth year at Brock University, taking Bachelor of Physical Education/Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Senior), with Mathematics as a second teachable subject.

The current Blog has been created for my EDBE 8F83 - I/S Teaching Mathematics Part 1 course. It will be focused on my experiences and reactions based on the course content, my classmates, the professor (Dr. Joyce Mgombelo), and other matters that I might encounter in the next year. In other words, I will be blogging on my weekly experiences after I have completed all of the activities for lecture that week. For instance, my blogs may include things that surprised me during the session, any important points, emotions that I experienced, any actions I may want to pursue further, or anything else that comes to mind.

This blog will not only demonstrate notes that I have taken away from each lesson, but it will also serve as a tool of reflection for me throughout the course. It will address responses to questions, discussions about ideas, and information that has been presented (both online and face to face) for each week. I also expect it to facilitate similar reflections for my peers and for Joyce, since they will be able to view and consider what I have written. Therefore, I hope to reflect on moments, ideas, or thoughts that my classmates may have not understood, or missed entirely. Another expectation for my Teaching Math blog is to help anyone who may not be familiar with Mathematics and/or how to properly instruct students in the subject. I will attempt to use what I have learned to support the knowledge of other practitioners, parents, students, or other stakeholders involved. I anticipate that it will be a great opportunity to formulate my thoughts and ideas, and to connect new learning to past experiences.

My main goal for this course is to gain a basic understanding of how to teach students in the domain of Mathematics in an educational setting. Although I am already proficient at engaging in Mathematical processes myself, I lack much of the knowledge that is crucial for any professional educator - particularly, how to properly instruct and assess students' learning. In doing so, I look forward to familiarizing myself with the Ontario Mathematics Curriculum. Another goal that I have is to gain strategies and tools that pertain to teaching, learning, organization, assessment/evaluation, and lesson and unit planning. Finally, I will work towards building my foundation for Teaching Mathematics through authentic experiences and learning, while gaining teaching resources along the way.

I look forward to being a student in this course and to continue my journey of life-long learning! It's been a great ride here at Brock, and it's only getting better. I know that it will be an educational and fun experience, and I hope that you all enjoy experiencing it with me!