1. How to facilitate students with student work sheet?
We know that student work sheet is not collection of problems that must solve by students. Student work sheet is facility from teacher to difference students, so they can construct knowledge or formula by their selves. Hence in student work sheet, there are some steps to make student think and find the way to construct the formula, but teacher also still guide students. And, you have to know that student work sheet not only contain exercise that must be solve by students then they make a conclusion from that. But, students must do something in line with instruction in student work sheet. For example:
a. In permutation and combination topics, teacher can make student work sheet using color cards. Example: from 3 color cards (blue, red, yellow) will be arrange 2 color cards randomly. So student can practice to arrange 2 of 3 color cards individual or by group and find how many array from there.
b. In operation of fraction topic, teacher may make student work sheet using flat of fraction and also cutting fraction from colorful folding paper. Students can practice to add, subtract, multiply, divide faction use flat of fraction and also cutting fraction.
c. In probability topic, teacher may make student work sheet using dice, coin, top. Students can practice to role dice, toss coin, and spin top to find probability.
It would better if teacher can create or develop student work sheet her/himself. Therefore we cannot just buy work sheet, because it is not match to teacher’s idea. Several benefits of student work sheet are: students can work independently and also teacher may develop a wide range of activities that can be used to learn.
2. How to realize learning mathematics with daily life case?
Usually, teacher teach mathematics base on material and example in book reference. Sometimes, any examples in book reference difficult to understand because not use daily life case. As a teacher, we would better to relate mathematics topics with our daily life. So, to begin a new topic, teachers should give one or more problems in daily life which relate to the topic that will be learned. It would better if teacher can give story telling near daily life, especially for elementary or junior high school. Student will be more interesting and easy to understand to learn mathematics with daily life case. It also can motivate students to learn mathematics, because they feel mathematics is useful in daily life, not only abstract and theoretical. For example: to learn about set we can give story that Mr. John has collection of animals like 3 cows, 5 chocks, 10 ducks, 6 sheep, and 7 rabbits. So, Mr. John has a set of animal. The elements of the set are 3 cows, 5 chocks, 10 ducks, 6 sheep, and 7 rabbits. It would better if teacher can use pictures of animals, so students will more interesting. It is easier to understand than we use example a set of natural number with the element 1, 2, 3, 4, …, n.
3. How to demonstrate mathematics topics with teaching aid?
As we know that teaching aid is something in classroom that teacher uses in her/his class to help students improve reading and other skills, reinforce a skill, or to make learning fun. But teacher often not use teaching aid to teach mathematics, whereas teaching aid is very important thing to learn mathematics and make mathematics more real and easy to understand. There are so many teaching aids for mathematics learning. Teacher should be creative and also develop to make teaching aids for students so his/her students will understand the concept and can achieve a good mark. For example: to learn about geometry space teacher may use sphere, cube, cone, block, cylinder, prism, and so on. To learn about statistics topic to find mean, median, and modus teacher may use sticks as data of sample. To learn about probability topic teacher may use dice, coin, top, number card, and so on. To learn power of 2, teacher may use folding paper and power of 3 teacher may use cubes and blocks.
4. How to perform various teaching methods?
To teach many students that have different character and ability, teacher cannot teach the same mathematics in the same time with the same task by the same teaching method and hope students will get the same achievement. But, we know that teacher often using expository method to teach almost all mathematics topics. Now, if we just use expository method, it is not relevant because learning mathematics not only listen lecture. As a teacher we may develop multi method (various, dynamic, and flexible methods). There are some various methods of teaching such: discovery method, demonstrating method, collaborating method, tutorial method, discussion method, e-learning method, presentation method, contextual/teaching learning practice method, practice method, game method, problem solving method, laboratory method, study tour method, project method, et cetera. Teacher may use not only one method for one topic, but also combine two or three method to teach one topic. If teacher use various method to teach students, so they will not bored and sleepy but they may motivate, interest, and curious learn it deeply. Teacher can write down his/her plan to use what method in teaching a topic, but if the environment not support, teacher to use this method, teacher must flexible to change the method.
5. How to provide student’s need in learning?
As we know that there are many students in the class. They have different character, need, and ability. So, as a teacher, we cannot ignore it. Now, we should not use traditional teaching, we have to change, move, and make alternation. Teacher and students have to change the paradigm of teaching learning process from transfer of knowledge -- facilitate, teaching -- learning, single method -- multi method, textbook oriented -- problem-based oriented, final examination oriented -- process-product oriented, authoritarian -- democratic, one solution -- open-ended solution, lecture -- discussion, students just listen -- students talkative, passive student -- active student, abstract -- concrete, teacher initiative -- student initiative, conventional -- technology, teacher as a center of the class -- student center, students cannot make mistake -- mistake is part of process learning, attitude from fast and hurried -- be calm, patient and wait, external motivation -- internal motivation, make a good relation between student and teacher, and so on.