The Importance of “Explaining Skills” for a Mathematics Teacher

According to JJ Hasibuan and Moedjiono Explaining is systematically present information orally with the aim of showing the relationship. Emphasis is explaining the reasoning process of students, and not indoctrination. Explaining the material for a math teacher in which the teachers, is currently presenting information orally and in writing mathematics systematically to students with goals and objectives that the students know and understand the material being studied. The explaining skill is very important for teacher, especially for math teachers because what the teachers say (in explaining) students’ understanding. Moreover mathematics is an abstract subject claimed by most students, so it needed a good explanation and the right to be able to transform it into something concrete mathematical. Demonstrated mastery of explaining skills that teachers will enable students have a solid understanding of the problems described, and the increased involvement of students in learning activities. The purpose explaining mathematics for a teacher is to help students to understand: the first is formula and principles of mathematics itself, the second involves the students to think, and the third to get feedback on students, and the fourth is to guide students in learning to solve problem.

Understanding formula and principles of mathematics, for students understanding formula and principles of mathematics is not the new thing but it is very important things in learning Mathematics. The basis of learning Mathematics is to understand the basic principles of Mathematics’ formula. Mathematics is not a matter about memorizing like other subjects; but understands the formula is very important when learning mathematics. Understanding the formula and the principles of Mathematics is very difficult for students, especially if the formula is very abstract. In this case the roles of teachers are needed. Teachers need to explain the basic concepts well, correctly, so that students can clearly know and be able to understand. Most of the students are very difficult to understand the basic concepts of mathematics without teachers’. Teacher's explanation is a response to students’ difficulties; this is why Mathematics teacher must be skilled in explaining the material. Skilled teachers should understand and master the material in advance previously, so that teachers will easily transfer knowledge to students. Students can also receive what the teachers have taught well so that students can understand the basic concept of a formula or math problems correctly.

The second objective of explaining material is to involve students to think. Thinking according to Bochenski is the development of idea and concept in our self.  It is hoped by being explained the mathematics material by the teacher; it can engage the students to think so they can develop the idea and mathematics concept in themselves. When giving explanation the teacher does a direct interaction to students, through the interaction teacher can engage students to think not only to accept whatever the teacher has explained. For example when explaining, teacher tries to ask students to interact by asking questions which encourage students to think for example “Can anyone give example of solids?”  When asking to students, it is better for teacher give a time for them to think and answer the questions. It is not only can ask students to think asking when explaining but also to anticipate students who feel sleepy when the lesson is ongoing. Moreover, mathematics still is considered as a subject that makes students are sleepy. Students are sleepy and lazy to give attention to teacher when she explains the material. It can be caused by many reasons such as teacher who explains a material which is very monotone material so students are not interested. In the end they are lazy and sleepy. When teachers explain, it does not mean only teacher who can talk but there is two-way communication between students and teacher. Back to the basic concept which explains that giving explanation is not mean giving doctrine to students. Students are hoped not only accepting from teacher but also being involved and asked to think critically so the students’ ability in mathematics is developed.

The third objective of explaining material is to get the feedback towards students’ understanding. The feedback of students’ understanding here is when explaining the material teacher can check directly the students’ understanding and know directly whether her students understand to the material or not. When giving explanation teacher can ask students to check their understanding. The way of asking questions to students when teacher explains should able to attract students to answer the questions. Do not give question which makes students feel confused and do not know what they have to answer. Give questions clearly when explaining in order they can answer questions without feeling confused on what is the meaning of the questions. If the questions is clear enough but students have not able to answer the questions yet, so teacher have to repeat explaining the material because it shows that students have not understood yet what the teacher has explained. By explaining the material well, a teacher especially mathematics teacher can take an advantage the situation as good as possible to find out how far students understand to the material which has explained. The teacher becomes centre in the class so she can handle the situation as good as possible, because when she is explaining students’ attention is in the teacher.

And in the last purpose of explanation is to guide students in learning process to solve their problem. When teacher explain his subject, he not only know students’ understanding toward the material but also ask students to think, gets feedback concern in students’ understanding, teacher also can helps students to solve their problem. During explanation, teacher will not do lots of direct interaction with students. Teacher can use to guide students to solve their problem, especially problem which happens while teacher explain the material. Mathematic is material which consists of lots of problem from easy, medium to complicated.   For almost all students, solving mathematic problem is very unpleasant so students need help or scaffolding from teacher. When teacher explain the material implicitly teacher has give helping to his students, but during teacher explain the material in front of the class, helping from teacher is given to all students with the same proportion, whereas essentially students have different level of understanding so the helping which is needed should different.

From the explanation above, can be concluded that explaining material for a mathematics teacher is not only lecturing in front of the class but more than that. Explaining material has lots of purpose so to be a good teacher especially for mathematics teacher, he should has skill to explain the material well, in order all the objective can be reached and students not only know the materials but also can understand that materials.

*this is English version, I dedicated to CLS : EEM class as a mid term assignment