Creative Wizard

Welcome to Creative Wizard

With creativity and magic, mathematics can be fun and exciting for everyone! There is beauty in mathematics. As parents and teachers we have a duty to help our children discover this for themselves and to cultivate a life-long love for mathematics.

Mathematics is not just about numbers. It is about patterns and relationships. It is about problem-solving. It is also about thinking and discovery. For me, teaching mathematics creatively for the past 10 years has been tremendous joy. It is my fervent hope that by trying out the activities in Creative Wizard, you will be able to participate in that joy.

Traditional methods of teaching and learning mathematics emphasise rote learning. This system of force-feeding breeds a society of passive learners, devoid of fresh approaches to problem-solving. What needs to be done can be summarised within this couplet of wisdow:

  1. Remove FEAR. How?
    Emphasise FREE THINKING and EXPERIMENTATION, via 'play' (such as recreational mathematics).

  2. Encourage KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING and TRANSFER of LEARNING. How?
    Eliminate rote learning and force-feeding of subject matter. Use a rich exposure of variations and allow ample time  and space for mathematical thinking to develop.

These 'secrets' unleash creativity, promote mathematical thinking, and improve problem-solving skills.

Sobel and Maletsky (1975) quote from an unknown source a wise and apt job description of a teacher:

                        "A teacher must know his stuff.
                        He must know the pupils he intends to stuff.
                        Above all, he must stuff them artistically."

Creative Wizard aims to improve the artistry of mathematics teachers. It will enable them to artistically "stuff" their students with appropriate mathematical content. This is best done through amusing mathematical magic and craftwork so that students are captivated. At the same time, reluctant learners can also be easily motivated. If learners are sufficiently motivated they will attend to instruction, strive for meaning, and persevere to overcome difficulties.

Creative Wizard unravels the art of teaching. Use it and discover a series of motivational ideas to inspire students of different grades and varying levels of ability. The material in these pages is uniquely invaluable because it provides creative ways of approaching the curriculum:

  1. by showing you how to enthuse students with mathematical magic, especially at the beginning and end of lessons;
  2. through hand-on learning with "maths-crafting", i.e. making models via simple and imaginative paper-craft technology.

The Kano Model is the invisible hand that scribes Creative Wizard. It has illuminated my life and is responsible for my evolution as an enthusiastic teacher. Teaching and learning in the universe of mathematics education have given me form and direction, and I earnestly declare that the joy of mathematics emerges when teachers are able to electrify their students with chain-reactions of mathematical magic. This phenomenon caters dramatically to the excitement needs of students.

The most serious learning takes place in the most playful environment.

Go play!

Teoh Poh Yew