Practical tips for preparing a math lesson

Having analyzed various sources of information, the experience of colleagues and my own practice at school, I can formulate methodological recommendations for preparing a mathematics lesson using active and interactive teaching methods:

• Active teaching methods should be used when working with the study of new information, a rule, definition or algorithm.
• Lessons using interactive teaching methods can be built on the principles of assessing students “without assessment”, since, on the one hand, it is extremely difficult to distinguish the levels of personal achievements of students during group work, and on the other hand, a similar nature of the lesson with a free open atmosphere of search and creativity is a powerful stimulus for students’ intellectual activity.
• The main (most active) role in the use of active and interactive teaching methods is usually played by students, not the teacher, whose main task will be to perform the function of a tutor-consultant.
• At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher should conduct an instruction on the conditions for using a particular method, organize group and individual work, monitor compliance with the regulations of the main stages of work, and at the end of the lesson conduct a reflection.
• The implementation of active and interactive teaching methods should begin on the principle of from simple to complex, so as not to cause disappointment and rejection by students. So, brainstorming, icebreakers can be attributed to simple ones, and scenario modeling to more knowledgeable methods of working with historical and social information.
• I recommend using no more than 2-3 methods in one lesson.
• It is necessary to take into account that the first experience of using active and interactive teaching methods in mathematics lessons can cause various organizational problems, the solution of which largely depends on the teacher’s ability to conduct high-quality instruction; the choice of method depends on the individual characteristics of students; the first lesson, as a rule, will not give noticeable meta-subject results.
• Preparation for classes based on active and interactive teaching methods is often associated with careful preparation of the information base of the upcoming lesson, from the beginning of which (or during the lesson, for example, when working with cases) students must receive from the teacher thorough information on the content of the problem that they will solve.
• The task of the teacher when using active and interactive teaching methods in mathematics lessons at school is reduced to organizing students’ activities to achieve the goal of the lesson. In addition, the teacher can apply not only existing methods and techniques, but also develop new ones depending on the purpose of the lesson, that is, take a direct part in the process of improving and modernizing the educational process.

Therefore, I recommend paying attention to the fact that in the course of preparing a lesson using interactive and active teaching methods at different stages of a mathematics lesson in primary school, the teacher has the opportunity to combine several teaching methods to solve the problem, which undoubtedly contributes to the activation of students’ cognitive activity and increase their interest in studying mathematics.