Math Autobiography

To be honest, I don’t remember much of my math learning as a child. However, I do know that I had a strong dislike for math from a young age – so my learning experience must not have been positive. What I can remember though, was having to memorize and follow rules to come to one definitive answer – and anything outside that one answer was reason for being ‘wrong’. This perception is still with me, and that is why I am excited to be taking this course. I feel this course will be the most beneficial to me as I would love to learn how to make math more hands on and engaging for my future students. If I could take away from this course one method to help students appreciate the importance of math I will feel accomplished.

I was mediocre at math – I hard to work extremely hard at it. Math did not come easy to me and it still doesn’t. Problem solving was always the hardest aspect of school for me. I remember always receiving a ‘2’ on my report card in problem solving. It was the only ‘2’ I received in anything and it was very frustrating to me, even as a child. I tried so hard and still a ‘2’ – always a ‘2’. In higher grades and high school, math was still always my weakest mark – while I did okay, it was not my strongest mark and it was always the one class I did not look forward to.

My best math experience was in my grade 6 class. My teacher was incredible. She allowed us to sit in pairs or small groups and we were able to help and communicate with one another. I felt this was an effective way to learn – as our teacher was often distracted with other students and could not give me the time I needed. I also remember the same teacher applying math to the real world – she would relate the concepts to our life and pose questions we were interested in.

My worst math experience would have been the experience at home. My dad is a math teacher at College of the North Atlantic and I would ask him for help with my math homework. Although he would try his hardest to help me, he would get frustrated with me because I was not catching on as quickly as he wanted. He expected me to automatically understand concepts – because they were easy to him and he could not understand why I was having so much trouble. Eventually I stopped asking for help, as I associated doing my math homework with having a fight with my dad. I don’t want to give the wrong impression of my father – he tried his hardest, but I just remember the frustration and I think I bought these feelings with me up through my schooling. (Sorry Dad! Love You!)

To be an effective teacher, I feel a print rich classroom is of utmost importance. Thinking back upon my classrooms as a child, I remember beige walls (I guess the school board thought that white was too boring *Note sarcasm*) and single rows of desks – much like classrooms found at MUN. My lower grade classrooms were somewhat more decorated and colourful, but they are a far cry from the classroom I have envisioned for myself. I feel the more children are exposed to information and concepts, the better they will grasp them – so why deny children any extra help that you offer them?

I feel, the assessment you offer children also plays a big role in a child’s attitudes towards school. I remember the only assessment we were ever offered in math class were tests and assignments – all having only one right answer key. Things in math were right or wrong – we were not rewarded for trying (something I think is detrimental to a child’s self esteem). Looking back through my math assignments in elementary school, the covers and pages of all my work was coloured and neatly illustrated– showing my obvious passion for the arts and my creative abilities, not a love for math.

My math career at MUN consisted of the two math electives required to get into the education program. I worked the hardest at these two courses then I did at anything else I have ever done. Had anyone observed me during those semesters, they would be convinced math was the only course I was taking. I did math in the mornings, in between classes, and all night. I worked my butt off – and it paid off for me! My math marks are two of the highest marks I have received, and I am proud of that.

Overall, I feel mathematics is too important for children to dislike and just get by. I think teachers (myself included) need to work to make math a bigger part of students lives – in positive ways and I hope this courses helps me with that.