I'm teaching Math - Any ideas to make it fun, interesting?

[AprilW3]

I'm teaching the LPN nursing math course at a local school. I have 5 days to teach the systems of measurement, conversions, oral and parenteral dosage calculations and IV calcs (flow rate, hourly infusion, infusion time). Did you have any instructors who made the math fun or interesting? It's such a dull subject, but it's so vital to keep their interest. Please respond with any ideas.

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

try to add fun, coment on otherwises, joke while talking

"remember the 3teas on the table??"

3 tsp = 1tbsp

ask them to come up and check you as if they were the nurse doing a second check on a medicine

our teacher'd go like please Nurse... (someone's name) come up here and help me figure this out, check it for me!!! teach me on the board!

not much that i could think now.... but try to make them laugh whithout loosing their focus on it!

have them quiz each other

[FreestyleRN]

Use as many visual aids as possible. After they calculate have them use the calculations in real life situations. Applying lessons to the real world makes a big difference. Evaluate where the class is in their skills and build on them. Using methods that reach the different learning styles of a student helps the learning process.

[momofstudent, ADN, BSN]

I would also say, challenge them. Find a nursing article or study that would not be too difficult to understand. Take it to class and discuss how mathematics helps us improve patient care, or study effects of medications. You never know you might inspire them all the way to doctoral degrees.

[missjennmb]

1) use real life scenarios whenever possible

2) use hands on demos and visual aids that apply to their future time as a nurse (a great "quiz" would be lining up a variety of syringes/cups/ect and having them write down their interpretation and turn it in)

3) dont teach what they already know - a test with 2 of each type of problem given on the first day would show you who needs to know what. Our teacher spent 2 hours Wednesday reading our textbook to us (how she "teaches") where it went over adding/subtracting/dividing/multiplying fractions and decimals... if we didn't know that much we would never have passed the entrance exam to get INTO nursing school. It was not only a waste of time, but people were so bored and uninterested that nobody was paying attention and the classroom was VERY loud with disrespectful chatter (not that i condone chatter during lecture but it was obviously a huge time waste to sit through)