Text books can sometimes be important to a class and sometimes not depending on how the teacher utilizes in a textbook in their class. In Math, I rely heavily on the provided curriculum and texts and I think that is the result of my inexperience with math and math teaching. In the beginning of the year, I worked exclusively out of the provided text, and only recently have made a move away from the text, increasingly relying on my own devices. I’ve created many in-class packets over the past weeks to supplement the text and replace various sections.

I think part of the problem with textbooks is that oftentimes there is a disconnect between the needs of the class and the textbook. For example, the math textbook I presently use really fails to provide enough sample problems for students. It offers one or two basic problems, and then a handful of more complex problems, often leaving my students far behind. My students simply are not ready for those complex problems without more practice with the easier problems. In conclusion, I would argue that it is essential that it is the teacher who determines any class and not a textbook. A text is a teacher tool, but never can supersede the role of the teacher.