Children are naturally curious, always asking questions about this or that. As teachers, it is our responsibility to foster their curiosity about math, answer questions, and ask our own questions. Indeed, employing the Socratic questioning method in the math classroom has gained traction over the years for its many advantages.
Topics: intentional discourse, math
Introduction
Topics: mathematical reasoning, productive struggle, math
Hitting her one-year anniversary as a STEMscopes writer, Rachel Neir brings her bright smile and big ideas to everything she does. According to her team, “Texas teachers are so lucky she is helping us develop a new product for them."
With a B.S. in education from Northern Illinois University, Neir currently teaches fifth grade science and social studies at a public school in Texas. Her educational career also includes teaching sixth grade science. Neir has worked in a few different school districts within Texas.
It was the opportunity to write that drew Neir to STEMscopes. She wanted to explore this interest and “truly appreciates” the role she has. She enjoys the flexibility of working remotely, along with the combination of structure and creativity that the work provides. “I like that the Project Managers provide the writers with an outline/template and provide directions on what they need to be completed, while still allowing the writers the freedom of including creativity into the writing content.”
When not working, you’ll find Neir taking her beagle for a walk, playing tennis, watching movies, going to the lake or a beach, or listening to music.
Topics: science, teacher writers
Math is often valued for its objective quality. We all know the saying, “The numbers don’t lie.” Math may be a matter-of-fact discipline, but students have a lot of feelings about math, and those feelings aren’t always warm fuzzies. Some love it. Others hate it. Many stress over it. The emotional quality of these reactions makes math uniquely well-suited to the teaching of social emotional learning (SEL).
September 15th through October 15th marks National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time of year where we honor the achievements, contributions, and influence of Hispanic Americans to the world. Here at STEMscopes we want to recognize some of the lesser known Hispanic pioneers in various STEM fields. Some you may know; some may be brand new to you.
Topics: mathematical reasoning, productive struggle, math
