The don'ts of learning math the Zen way

I've spent a lot of time talking about the things that you should do when learning math, but what about the things that you shouldn't do?

There are several don'ts that come to mind right away:

  • Don't memorize - This is probably the most important one. I drill into my students that memorization is a one way street to disaster! At some point there's going to be too much to memorize and the whole building comes crashing down! Instead spend the time understanding the topic so that memorization becomes unneccesary.
  • Don't ask someone how to do a problem - You are not learning anything if you do. Instead be specific. If you are stuck on a problem, ask "I'm stuck on this step, because I don't understand this, can you please explain this to me so that I can get to the next step."
  • Don't blame the teacher - You are stuck with a teacher for a semester, at least. The more you blame the teacher, the more your grade will go down. Instead, spend the time finding ways to work with the teacher.
  • Don't be scared - Instead when solving a problem, relate it to something that you do well and think of the end goal.
  • Don't be messy - The more disorganized your work and your folders are the more disorganized it is in your brain. When you get organized on the outside, you also get organized on the insode.
  • Don't hurry - When you hurry is when you make mistakes the most. Slow down and check your work often.
  • Don't toss old exams - They may as well be made of gold, and are your best teachers, because they show you where you made mistakes in the past, and unless you realize it, this is where you will make the same mistakes in the future.
  • Don't say it was a stupid mistake - Any mistake is a "smart" mistake when you learn from it. A mistake becomes a "stupid" mistake when you repeat it over and over again.

So, look over your math habits and see if you can spot some of these don'ts in what you do. I've probably commited all of these dont's myself, so you are not alone. So learn from your mistakes and bad habits, and good luck!

 

Happy Zen Math!!

(c)2006 Feenix Pan.  All Rights Reserved.

 

 

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