Can teachers play a role in your perception of mathematics?

One of the subjects that almost has devil horns coming with its name is Mathematics. For years together, many students have feared this subject and failed in the examinations. While there is no denying that being scared of a subject doesn’t help, there is another factor that forms your perception of it - the aptitude of the Mathematics teacher. Whether you take up admission in a CBSE School in Bangalore or in any part of the country, your fear towards the subject can germinate from a young age and your teacher can play a big role in this. rnAccording to the CBSE controller of examinations, Dr. Sanyam Bharadwaj, if the teacher has the right aptitude and attitude, it is possible to alleviate the fear and even make students love mathematics as a subject. rnHow can this be ensured?rnCan the education board take any steps to help the students?rnThe CBSE management in India is working towards this by increasing the capacity of qualified teachers across the country. Be it training sessions on how to inculcate interest in the subject or using new age software technology, there are multiple supporting routes being taken as well. They have also divided Mathematics into two levels - Basic and Advanced, allowing students to study at least basic maths, even if they choose not to pursue it later in their lives. rnThe New Educational Policy 2020 has aided this process as well. The government has urged institutions to encourage mathematical thinking from a foundational age in children. This helps them to be independent learners, good observers and great decision makers. With the increasing competition in any field of work, these qualities can set the child apart from his/her peers and accelerate his journey to success.rn5 simple steps that can be taken by teachers and schools to create an interest in the subject are - ● Build Confidence: This is the first and most important step. Most times, the fear of the subject comes from either one’s previous experiences or the horror-stories of family members. Help students break these barriers by building confidence in themselvesrn● Start by strengthening the basic skills: Use different techniques to strengthen the foundation i.e. basic skills on paper and mentally. When the fluency increases for smaller computations, the chances of attempting advanced level maths are higher. ● Follow a Step-by-Step approach: Too much information offered in too little time can be overwhelming and extremely daunting. Take a step by step approach by increasing the difficulty levels slowly. This will help students master mathematical concepts level by level. ● Encourage Risk-taking: When they are growing, teach students to take risks and try new methods or advanced problems. It will motivate them when they see their boundaries being pushed. ● Have and inculcate the right attitude: While all the above steps are great, the heaviest influence on a student is the attitude of the teacher towards the subject. When you love maths, the enthusiasm shines through encouraging them to follow suit. It is critical to have the right attitude in order to be able to inculcate it. rnAfter the new policies through NEP 2020, some of the Best CBSE Schools in Bangalore are incorporating these methods into their teaching methodology. It is upon the educationists in the country to change the perception and narrative towards this subject and we are definitely headed in the right direction.