Conceptual Understanding in the Classroom

I support the belief that conceptual learning and basic skills are essential in mathematics classrooms. Students should be taught to reason effectively, allowing the ability to work through problems rather than memorizing a step by step procedure. The ability to be able to reason effectively should be pushed in all classrooms as it is a valuable life skill, especially when entering the work force. Mathematics educators can assess the student’s ability to reason by assigning problems that allow students to “think outside the box” using their creativity, rather than a set procedure.
I also agree that today’s teachers need professional development. I trust that the teachers have a deep understanding of mathematic skills, yet they do not know that teaching concepts along with basic skills is necessary. For example, instructors who have been teaching for several years are prone to teach by rote learning. On the same topic, teachers may not know how to express the fundamentals of mathematics in a conceptual framework to the students. Either way, professional development will solve both problems. I strongly think mathematics educators should focus on creating an environment that incites higher level thinking while instilling basic mathematical skills.