GIVE 'EM A GOOD CLUBBINGAuthor(s): PAMELA W. COFFIELDSource: The Mathematics Teacher, Vol. 73, No. 2 (February 1980), pp. 112-114Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27961908 .

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GIVE A GOOD CLUBBING

By PAMELA W. CORRELO Muscogee County School District

Columbus, GA 31906

The teacher who has student contacts which are but

informal?extra-class, say?fills a spacious place in the students' needs.

?Robert Frost

Mathematics teachers have precious little time during a school day to step back and view mathematics in perspective. Be cause of the rush of daily activity we also tend sometimes to fail to stress the enjoy

ment that can come from the study of mathematics. Consequently, an attitude of mathematical stoicism is conveyed to our students.

One way to learn to enjoy mathematics and to teach students to enjoy mathematics is to organize ?nd sponsor a school mathe

matics club. In this setting, the pressure for students and teachers to cover a fixed num ber of objectives is absent. You and your club members can take the time to savor

mathematics.

There are several advantages for the teacher willing to sponsor such a club. You can?

enjoy discussing mathematics without the concerns of classroom management;

get to know some students better; see students in a different and relaxed set

ting;

try out a novel lesson that you might use with a regular class; see students grow mathematically; refresh some of your little-used advanced mathematics skills.

Some of the benefits of club membership to students include the opportunity to?

share ideas and experiences in mathe

matics; solve problems in groups;

mingle with students of different ages;

demonstrate leadership abilities;

express an interest in mathematics with out dealing with negative peer pressure.

Your Reservations . . .

Teachers may be hesitant to undertake the organization arid sponsorship of a club. Reasons for this hesitancy usually fall into the following categories:

Students in my school are not interested

enough in mathematics to do their home

work, so I know they won't be motivated to

join a math club.

To borrow and to alter one of Plato's

thoughts, "What is honored in a school will be cultivated there." A school lacking mathematical interest among students criti

cally needs a club to provide a spark of life for the mathematics program. The club can

begin with two or three students, and as word gets around that something good is

happening in the club meetings, member

ship will probably grow. If not, the club can operate with a small membership. Quantity is unimportant.

/ don't have any students who are good enough to participate in such a club.

Outstanding achievement in mathe matics is not a prerequisite for club mem

bership; only interest in mathematics is needed. Club membership might just pro vide the stimulus to create "good" students from those who presently are not. As Saint Paul admonished, "Be not forgetful to en tertain strangers, for thereby some have en tertained angels, unawares."

/ have all the responsibilities I want.

This is a good point. Pressures on class room teachers are increasing at an alarm

ing rate. But a mathematics club is not meant to be an imposition on the teacher; in fact, sponsorship of a club may help re lieve the burdens of a hectic school day by

112 Mathematics Teacher

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providing a time during which one may

truly get back to the basics?mathematics. The club belongs to the students and

they should be held responsible for its op eration. They elect officers, keep roll, and so on. The sponsor serves as a consultant

who regularly attends meetings, sometimes

presents mathematical topics, and suggests ideas for student presentations. The fre

quency of meetings is a decision made by the club; many groups hold biweekly or

monthly gatherings. When two teachers are

willing to cosponsor a club, the time de mands for each can be lessened.

/ don't have any money.

A club can be operated with no funds, but the availability of some money is bene

ficial. However, lack of funds is not a criti

cal factor in the success of a club.

How to Begin

An initial time and meeting place should

be chosen. This information, along with some idea of what the club will do, should

be conveyed to the students by means of

the daily bulletin, public address system, or

word of mouth. The best place to begin is with your own students. After a meeting or

two, students can elect officers to provide leadership for the group and to work with the sponsor to plan meetings. Membership in a national network of

mathematics clubs such as Mu Alpha Theta is available for those who wish to

align themselves with other groups. A char

ter, membership cards, certificates, a club

handbook, and a monthly newspaper en

able students to feel part of a larger group of students whose interests are mathemati

cally oriented. Write to Mu Alpha Theta, The University of Oklahoma, 601 Elm

Avenue, Room 423, Norman, OK 73069, for application forms and information. The

normal club trappings?jewelry, patches, and banners?are available for a reason

able charge. T-shirts are available in a vari

ety of mathematical designs for those

groups that wish to purchase them. One such supplier is Outer Products, Box 88,

LaFayette Hill, PA 19444.

What topics should be discussed in a meet

ing? There is no prescribed set of topics for

clubs. A wide variety of material can be chosen on the basis of the mathematical

backgrounds, interests, and ages of stu dents. It is important that the mathematics be treated in a novel way if it's not actually new to the students. In either case, the mathematics should be within their capa bilities.

Interesting topics can be found in many

places. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has published a booklet,

Topics for Mathematics Clubs, which is

very useful. It includes articles that stimu late interest in mathematics through topics that are not usually discussed in the class room. The 106-page booklet sells for $3.80, NCTM member price, or $4.75 for non

members. Write to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1906 Association

Drive, Reston, VA 22091. A com

plimentary copy of the booklet is included with Mu Alpha Theta affiliation.

Some meetings might be centered around the reading and discussion of mathematical books such as Edwin Abbot's Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions

(see your school librarian). The history of mathematics is rich with personalities and

interesting events that students enjoy. For an excellent collection of historical mathe matics stories and anecdotes, see the works of Howard W. Eves: In Mathematical Cir cles (1969), Mathematical Circles Revisited

(1971) , and Mathematical Circles Squared (1972) , all published by Prindle, Weber, and Schmidt, Statler Office Building, 20 Providence Street, Boston, MA 02116.

Also, NCTM's 31st yearbook, Historical

Topics for the Mathematics Classroom, pro vides a nice treatment of mathematics his

tory written for classroom use ($15.75 for

nonmembers, $12.60 for members; 524

pages). Special topics for holidays add spice to

meetings. An investigation into the proper ties of the cardioid in February and a cal culation of the time required to return all the gifts, at the rate of one per day, given in

February 1980 113

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the "Twelve Days of Christmas" make en

tertaining, relevant, and worthwhile mathe matical activities (see Robert A. Newell's "The Twelve Days of Christmas," Mathe matics Teacher 66 [December 1973]:707-8).

The NCTM publication, the Mathe matics Student, is an inexpensive monthly newspaper for students. It is published six times per year, once each month from Oc tober through March. For current subscrip tion information, please write directly to

NCTM. The meeting can also be used to compete

on statewide or national mathematics ex aminations. Leagues are composed of member schools that compete with one an other on examinations that are mailed and administered on a prearranged basis. For further information on leagues and exami nations write to (a) Alfred Kalfus, Presi dent, Atlantic Region Mathematics

League, 23 Garfield Place, Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 (see p. 542 of the September 1978 Mathematics Teacher); (b) Atlantic

Pacific High School Mathematics League, c/o David Rosen, P.O. Box 11242, Elkins Park, PA 19117; (c) Mathematics Leagues, Inc., c/o Steven R. Conrad, P.O. Box 426,

Coram, NY 11727. The Annual High School Mathematics

Examination aims are to create and sustain interest in mathematics through selective

problem solving on the basis of the con

cepts and skills of precalculus mathe

matics?particularly algebra and geometry. The test is administered each March. Reg istration deadlines are in January. Over 350 000 students took the examination last year. For information write to Walter

Mientka, Executive Director, Annual High School Contest, 917 Oldfather Hall, Uni

versity of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588. All sorts of other activities are possible.

Films can be shown; speakers from local businesses or colleges can provide insights for the students as to how mathematics is

applied in the "outside world."

Good Meetings

Here are a few tips that make club meet

ings run more smoothly:

Set aside a regular meeting day, place, and time, and stick to it.

Work through members to get other members. Don't be discouraged if only a few students are interested in the club.

Select topics that can be introduced and completed in one meeting. Students have many other ongoing responsibilities in their classes, and they do not have much time for additional ones. Also, if students

must miss one meeting, they will not feel out of place when they attend the next

meeting.

Use the first ten to fifteen minutes as an unwinding time from the rigors of the school day (especially if the meeting is held after school). Students are always hungry, and, if at all possible, refreshments should be served during the social time. Responsi bility for bringing cookies or other edibles can be rotated among club members.

Avoid the temptation of treating the club as one of your classes. Don't give as

signments. Interested students may choose to investigate mathematical topics and re

port their findings to the club, but allow the students to make this decision on their own.

Discuss club topics, not material per taining to your classes. Otherwise, the club

meetings will lessen in appeal to those who are not students of the club sponsor.

Remember that interest in mathe matics cannot be legislated; it can only be motivated.

Make students feel that the time spent in the meetings is worthwhile, rewarding, and worth the sacrifice.

Give 'em a good clubbing.

Atlantic Region Mathematics League

The Atlantic Region Mathematics League, an inter state competition involving one or more 15-member, all-star teams representing the states involved, will hold its Fifth Annual Meet at the University of Penn

sylvania, in Philadelphia, Friday and Saturday, 6-7 June 1980. Any organization wishing to send one or more teams to compete in this event should contact Alfred Kalfus, Babylon High School, Babylon, NY 11702.

114 Mathematics Teacher

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