ABSTRACT

Ed Begle said, "We have learned a lot about teaching better mathematics but not much about teaching mathematics better" (Crosswhite, 1986). When perusing the history of teaching mathematics, it appears as if we constantly look for a magic method or strategy that will serve all students. There is no enchanted formula that fits every learner. We need to realize that a variety of methods are necessary to meet the mathematical learning needs of all students. Our task, as teachers of mathematics, is to determine which method will be

most beneficial to the mathematical learning of each student and when these strategies will be most effective. If a teacher uses a strategy with no positive result from the learner, at what point is that method abandoned in favor of another? The decision is most often influenced by our own background, training, experiences, bias, and current curriculum.