5 Tips to ADD FEAR OF MATHEMATICS to students that should be AVOIDED

Teaching and introducing mathematics to students is challenging and if approached wrongly, we might increase fear of mathematics. In general, mathematics is often considered difficult to understand and requires an understanding of mathematical concepts.

Here are 5 Tips to ADD FEAR OF MATHEMATICS to students that should be AVOIDED 

1. Teach completely verbally without any practical

Mathematics subjects, if only taught verbally, will definitely have bad consequences. That is why this subject needs practical explanation. If you want to understand the basic concepts of mathematics, you also need to see how to do it - the practical side of it. Simple example: When we learn to count 1 to 10, at least we use our fingers as tools to help us understand. 

2. Teaching once is enough

Is teaching the students once enough for them to understand maths? What do you think? If you show something once to your students, you may only let them be able to know but not understand the concept thoroughly resulting in them forgetting what they have learned. Teaching mathematics needs to be repeated with various forms of questions and methods. Just teaching something once to show them the way to solve mathematical problems is not enough. An important note to remember is that there are many ways of getting the answer to mathematical problems as long as you are creative!

3. Being strict and fierce with the students all the time; not chilling at all in the class

One thing to keep in mind when teaching mathematics is the relationship between teachers and students. The subject of mathematics is difficult already, so try to avoid adding to that difficulty by becoming too fierce. Please relax and chill a bit. Just because your students get it wrong, why does it make you angry and scold the students?

4. Giving many exercises

It is true that students need a lot of exercises to be proficient and remember what they have learned in mathematics. But giving too many exercises can become a burden to them that hinders them to even like the subject. You have given them some exercises that can be completed in class, so some relevant number of exercises to be brought home as homework should be enough. Sometimes, when the students cannot finish the homework given to them, they will be afraid of going to school the next day! - talking from personal experience.

5. Not allowing students to make noise and discuss in the class!

If students discuss with their friends how to solve maths questions during class, is it wrong? Is it noisy for you? Is it irritating? What if there are students who learn through discussing with friends? What if they talk to each other to solve the problem given to them? Remember, learning activities also occur when students socialise. Sometimes through discussions among themselves, understanding can be nurtured. So, you can encourage them to discuss and do group work as well.

PS: sometimes it's not about the subject but how you introduce it