Teaching Maths

[Simone]

I Have to teach English for maths ( he is going to a bilingual school and will be tacght maths in English so wants to be able to understanmd what the heck the teacher is going on about.) to a 16 year old Korean student. When I asked him to be more specific he drew a bunch of equations on the board that I couldn't make head nor tail of! Can anybody suggest websites where I can get printable maths resources from that we can work through? Have tried BBC Bitesize and it looks a bit too basic.

I might also mention that maths was never my strongest subject at school hence me becoming an English teacher rather than a maths teacher!

Please help!!

p.s. in a few days he will also want to learn English for science and English for technology...and so on! :sad:

[Ijustwannateach]

At the risk of being "harsh" (a recent accusation), I must ask if you have considered the possibility that you may also need some resources regarding the proper use of English? In your opening paragraph you have more than a few errors in spelling, capitalization, usage, punctuation, and grammar, and some of your sentences are so awkward I had to read them twice to understand what you were saying. It would be embarrassing if the Korean kid started correcting you.

However, to the question: if you don't understand the equations he showed you, chances are you're in over your head. The fair thing to do would be to admit you have no idea how to handle the math you're supposed to teach him and give his family the option to let you teach solely as an "English" teacher or else bail out.

Recently, the proliferation of EP/MEP programs has created a high demand for English-speaking teachers in skill areas OTHER than English, for which there is an exceedingly short supply. A lot of money is wasted on pretenders, which is what you are attempting to become (for which subject, I will not say).

Finally, though, to address your call for help: if you knew enough about math to be considering this job, you would know what to CALL the math, which would greatly help us in attempting to help you. Some examples include: arithmetic, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, probability, combinatorics, statistics. Perhaps if you search on these words you will find equations similar to the ones you didn't recognize somewhere among the results.

"Steven"

[Ijustwannateach]

P.S. Since you mention equations and the guy's 16, chances are he's studying algebra, with long odds on geometry or trig. Algebra would mean a lot of letters mixed with the numbers: ax^2 + bx +c = 0. If you see a lot of stuff like (cos, sin, tan) plus some weird Greek letters, then he's studying trigonometry. Lots of circles and triangles indicate geometry.

[chownah]

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Recently, the proliferation of EP/MEP programs has created a high demand for English-speaking teachers in skill areas OTHER than English, for which there is an exceedingly short supply. .................

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What are EP/MEP programs? and what areas OTHER than English require teachers? and what do they pay (ballpark of course) for a BA math and BS engineering from a solid American university with university course work in education to 90% qualify for a teaching credential in the USA and one term of teaching basic math, basic science, and physics to Thai students in English?

[PeaceBlondie]

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Recently, the proliferation of EP/MEP programs has created a high demand for English-speaking teachers in skill areas OTHER than English, for which there is an exceedingly short supply. .................

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What are EP/MEP programs? and what areas OTHER than English require teachers? and what do they pay (ballpark of course) for a BA math and BS engineering from a solid American university with university course work in education to 90% qualify for a teaching credential in the USA and one term of teaching basic math, basic science, and physics to Thai students in English?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

chownah, the EP is an English Program in Thai schools, public and private, usually matayom (secondary). It teaches almost all subjects in English, except Thai history, Thai language, and Buddhism. thus, it includes math and science. The MEP usually just teaches English, math and science - all of which your degrees qualify you to teach in Thailand.

Technically, unless you have 15 semester hours in education courses, you'd be hard pressed to get a job with an international school, especially since the real good intern'al schools want you to have 100% of a teaching credential in your home country.

Hey chownah, you should be able to make 45K in Bangkok, 35K in Chiang Mai!

[Simone]

At the risk of being "harsh" (a recent accusation), I must ask if you have considered the possibility that you may also need some resources regarding the proper use of English?  In your opening paragraph you have more than a few errors in spelling, capitalization, usage, punctuation, and grammar, and some of your sentences are so awkward I had to read them twice to understand what you were saying.  It would be embarrassing if the Korean kid started correcting you.

However, to the question:  if you don't understand the equations he showed you, chances are you're in over your head.  The fair thing to do would be to admit you have no idea how to handle the math you're supposed to teach him and give his family the option to let you teach solely as an "English" teacher or else bail out.

Recently, the proliferation of EP/MEP programs has created a high demand for English-speaking teachers in skill areas OTHER than English, for which there is an exceedingly short supply.  A lot of money is wasted on pretenders, which is what you are attempting to become (for which subject, I will not say).

Finally, though, to address your call for help:  if you knew enough about math to be considering this job, you would know what to CALL the math, which would greatly help us in attempting to help you.  Some examples include:  arithmetic, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, probability, combinatorics, statistics.  Perhaps if you search on these words you will find equations similar to the ones you didn't recognize somewhere among the results.

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

At the risk of being harsh? I think its a given that you were being harsh! I make a couple of typos and suddenly my grasp of English is being questioned? Sticks and stones buddy - but if it made you feel superior that's all that matters.

I asked for help - does that really make me a pretender? I thought that's what this forum was for, or is its soul purpose to provide fodder for your ego?

Rather than turn this into a heated debate between the two of us please feel free to PM me with any further objections to my posts. At least then you aren't boring the socks off everybody else who reads the post.

Maybe you should change your username to 'Ijustwannacriticise'. And maybe you could learn to spell 'want to'. Just a thought.

Edited June 11, 2005 by Simone

[dr_strangelove]

I Have to teach English for maths ( he is going to a bilingual school and will be tacght maths in English so wants to be able to understanmd what the heck the teacher is going on about.) to a 16 year old Korean student. When I asked him to be more specific he drew a bunch of equations on the board that I couldn't make head nor tail of! Can anybody suggest websites where I can get printable maths resources from that we can work through?

May be you can post those questions out here... some of us may be good in maths... or you may find the google groups on mathematics and post it there....

[Ijustwannateach]

At the risk of being harsh? I think its a given that you were being harsh! I make a couple of typos and suddenly my grasp of English is being questioned? Sticks and stones buddy - but if it made you feel superior that's all that matters.

I asked for help - does that really make me a pretender? I thought that's what this forum was for, or is its soul purpose to provide fodder for your ego?

Rather than turn this into a heated debate between the two of us please feel free to PM me with any further objections to my posts. At least then you aren't boring the socks off everybody else who reads the post.

Maybe you should change your username to 'Ijustwannacriticise'. And maybe you could learn to spell 'want to'. Just a thought.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think most of your problems were typos, but if it's any consolation this message was much better in all respects (with room for improvement).

You ARE being a pretender to teach math, however. What do I mean by 'pretend?' I mean: acting as though you know something well enough to be qualified to teach it, when in fact you aren't (by your own admission) even qualified enough to *recognize* it. THAT makes you a pretender.

The 'soul' [sic] purpose of this forum is to provide honest, accurate advice and discussion about teaching in Thailand, and I think I've been both honest and accurate with you, if also a bit bitchy.

You're one public message too late to turn this over to PMs- but feel free to take your own advice. The comment about my handle was just lame.

"Steven"

[Ijustwannateach]

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Recently, the proliferation of EP/MEP programs has created a high demand for English-speaking teachers in skill areas OTHER than English, for which there is an exceedingly short supply. .................

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What are EP/MEP programs? and what areas OTHER than English require teachers? and what do they pay (ballpark of course) for a BA math and BS engineering from a solid American university with university course work in education to 90% qualify for a teaching credential in the USA and one term of teaching basic math, basic science, and physics to Thai students in English?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Check out the 'Questions about Qualifications' thread pinned at the top of this forum for detailed answers to all of these questions, case studies, and other related information.