[mathluv]

I am a retired Math teacher. While getting my masters, I had one class on learning how to teach math - elementary. I had no classes on true teaching while getting my BS. I had already taught secondary math several years, and I learned some things about math and about teaching in that class. Most of the other students were elementary teachers, and had a hard time with it.

While working on my PhD in math ed, I had NO classes on truly how to teach - just more "theory". 2 classes were beneficial. while there, the curriculum for elementary majors was changed. Now they had to have fewer methods classes, and had to take Calculus. True methods classes are what is needed. not higher level math - to teach K-1.

[Amelia]

True methods classes are what is needed. not higher level math - to teach K-1.

I agree with you that most education classes teach more theory than methods, when methods are more useful. I agree that elementary school teachers don't need to know calculus.

But darn it, if they are supposed to be teaching addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of fractions, they ought to be able to work the problems themselves - and not all of them can.