Teaching Mathematics at the High School Level.
Taking into consideration the competency level of an adolescent in high school, I am compelled to enforce an Essentialist approach toward education, using the methods of Behaviorism. .
"Essentialists agree that learning is the process of discovering truth through systematic and orderly procedures" (Vanderzwaag & Zeigler, 1968). A Mathematical curriculum with this emphasis should be prescribed, rather than left to the immature learner who has not yet gained the experience to appreciate the deeper meaning of the subject. In order to employ "Peg Techniques," students must be able to comprehend and relate past material learned in order to draw an association with the current methods being taught. What I believe is that a mathematical foundation should be built at the high school level, because this is a critical stage in which basic skills must be acquired so that one can exist in the modern world.
The method of Essentialism is conservative and the curriculum is centered around the core subject matter rather than activities or projects. Having said that, one must not forget that today's students often require constant stimulation, (i.e., the TV, video, computer generation). Therefore, "The teacher must be ingenious in finding ways to engage their imaginations and minds" (Cooper & Ryan, 1996). I will also employ the powerful methods of Behaviorism to mold the student, and thus, "shape" the behavior and response of the student in the manner that is instrumental in learning math skills.
To enrich the life of each student and benefit humanity as a whole, I see no alternative than to teach mathematical skills in a systematic and organized way, resulting in students that utilize these abilities to form insights and discipline. Unfortunately, I must take the side of accomplishment over fun at this critical stage, therefore "Mastery Learning" techniques will be used to facilitate expertise of the content.