Problem-solving in Maths and Everyday Life

Mr. Robinson would evaluate his class basing on their ability to solve problems they experience in their daily lives and not simply in education, their ability and willingness to solve the mathematics questions would provide a good way for him to evaluate the students. He would also evaluate them on their ability to seek new ways of tackling problems and not conforming to the laid out steps of tackling solutions. The perspective of Mr. Robinson is commendable and this is evident in the manner he introduced a change of mindset on the students as they able to gain skills on the ability to solve problems in the society and become successful students and citizens in future. Additionally, his students were learning how to develop critical and creative thinking to problems they face, this is because his on view of problem-solving is that it is a skill that encompasses every aspect of a persons life and it is critical to success and it is critical for a person to gain such as a skill.

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The actions of Mr. Robinson supported his actions about problem-solving in that they helped to show the students how to be problem solvers in a practical way by giving them mathematics questions. Moreover, his actions were also geared towards changing poor performance of students by trying to change the curriculum. His view on mathematics is also consistent with the approach to problem-solving recommended by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) because believes that problem-solving is one vehicle that offers holistic solution towards the achievement of all the values in mathematics and secondly, problem-solving is not limited to mathematics and has a practical application to individuals and the society. Finally, there should be more motivation in presenting a problem and developing skills for the solution of the same than mere teaching about problem solution.

Mr. Robinson's students were on their way to becoming mathematical problem solvers, this is evident in the positive approach they had developed towards mathematics and solution of problems. There were however factors that interfered with the development of his students problem-solving techniques and these are lack of motivation at Thurston Middle School, lack of enough teachers, high turnover of teachers leading and lack of new leadership skills to change the systems in the school. Mr. Robinson determined that his students had attained the problem-solving goals he set for them when he evaluated their interest in solving the mathematical problems he presented to them, he also determined this by the checking the ease with which the students accepted the changes in their time table to teach problem-solving. In order to improve the effectiveness of his teaching, Mr. Robinson should encourage the students to become open-minded and to view the problems as challenges, he should also set out slots in the timetable where he would specifically teach about problem-solving. Finally, he can otherwise encourage the students to do personal research on problem-solving.