How to lower one's expectation in teaching college algebra

Thread starter cbarker1
Start date Aug 13, 2022
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Algebra College Expectation Teaching

AI Thread Summary

Teaching College Algebra requires balancing expectations with students' actual capabilities, especially since many enroll only to fulfill liberal arts requirements. Instructors are encouraged to assess students' backgrounds through informal placement tests to gauge their understanding of foundational concepts. Engaging students with brief lectures followed by practice problems can enhance their learning experience and provide insight into their abilities. It's important to maintain high expectations for student performance over the course while recognizing that many may struggle with basic concepts. Ultimately, fostering a supportive environment can help students bridge knowledge gaps and succeed in the course.

Nov 14, 2022

swampwiz

mathwonk said:

As an example of this ignorance, when preparing to teach the class I read on page 8 of Hartshorne that he would use a fact he hoped was familiar to most readers: that any two angles in a circle which subtend the same arc, are equal even if their vertices are at different points of the circle, I did not myself recall that fact.

I learned it and remembered it, and I am pretty sure that the PSAT, SAT, ACT & GRE had problems based on this mathematical fact. And this fact also seems to be the basis behind Mohr's Circle.