From my experiences and the researches that I have read, I can conclude that I am definitely a visual learner. When I see something, I understand it better. Pictures, diagrams, videos help me develop a deeper conceptual understanding of the ideas is being covered.
Even though as teachers we are not able to teach every student according to his or her learning style, having an understanding of how each of our students learn can be very helpful to our teaching. Our focus needs to be on the content we are covering and how best to deliver it to all our students. In teaching mathematics, I often present information in a variety of ways spiraling them through several lessons. By understanding my students' learning styles, I can try to make the different lesson presentations accessible to various learning styles that exist in the classroom. At the same time, if there is a particular student who is unable to understand a concept and comes in for extra help, by understanding his/her way of learning, I can better cater to his/her needs.
Since we also have a learning style of our own, it is possible that we may become accustomed to presenting ideas using teaching strategies that suit our learning style. By being aware of the various learning styles that exist, we can adapt our lessons to match the diverse learning styles in our classroom.
Math is so visual! The one thing that makes it more applicable to kids is showing them how it applies to something in real life. I wish we would have done that when I was a student. Now, I look up on Google how to measure for a raised bed garden or measure my room for carpeting etc. In Geometry, I learned it, but only memorized formulas. Now, I can actually apply this knowledge. I would have liked math if I would have had practical applications at the time.
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