The Math Department’s Love for Reflection

By NIKHIL PANDE ‘21

To us Milton students, math seems like the most cut and dry subject on campus. Unlike students in English, history, and science, math students likely expect to spend less time on writing thoughts out and more time on numbers, graphs, and proofs to convey information, but Milton’s math department falls short of these expectations. Rather than embracing this fundamental nature of mathematics, it produces a curriculum in an effort to emulate what Milton has built its academic base on: writing. Everyone who was a freshman at Milton knows about Class IV Workshop, a weekly writing lecture. Down in the cramped, poorly ventilated, and dark basement of the AMC, the English faculty makes it clear that good writing is a top priority for all students who expect to graduate from Milton. Although writing is not a traditional part of math class, the Milton math department’s incorporation of writing in the curriculum has, surprisingly, led to big benefits.

Throughout the year, math students take on many projects and assignments for which their teachers require a piece of reflection. They look for the use of a certain part of the brain that students would expect to fall dormant during math class. Math demands different habits to come into play while solving problems or taking tests, and this habitual thinking can help solve challenges in math. However, teachers want to make their classes more than repetition. They look for an understanding of the process as well. This reflection on the process helps one find the ability to tackle an even more challenging array of problems. Thus, the math department does indeed benefit from this sort of approach.

Consistently finding the correct answer in a math problem demands a student’s ability to repeat processes flawlessly. For example, the process of solving an equation for ‘x’ contains the same few steps every time. Sometimes, certain steps aren’t necessarily used, but for the most part, habitual thinking and muscle memory guide the student to the correct answer. When a student first learns the process, it is vital that they ingrain the correct process. Reflection, in writing, the mathematical concepts as they are learned helps a student make sure that their understanding of the math is correct. This reassurance goes a long way to ensuring the success of a student.

In my opinion, math is one of the hardest subjects to execute without full proficiency in the concepts. Applying strategies to problems requires a comprehensive understanding of the material; on a large problem set, less than adequate comprehension of the concepts needed for completion will be visible in the work produced. The understanding that is needed for success in math can be easily attained by an effective reflection of the process. Knowing ‘why’ and ‘how’ each operation is performed helps the student properly use mathematical strategies as well as instill strong habits.

Ultimately, the math department loves reflection upon and thinking about the mathematical concepts that it teaches its students, as it helps students better understand the concepts that they use on a daily basis. Math is one of the few subjects that uses strict muscle memory, but a students reflection can not only improve the quality of the student’s habits, but also allow them to effectively apply these habits to different problems.