Overall, I would not describe my experiences in mathematics as very positive. I have never had much confidence in the subject or considered myself to be good at math. Throughout elementary school I worked hard to understand math, but was very slow. In the primary grades I recall becoming very frustrated during “mad minutes” where we would have 1 minute to complete as many math problems as possible. I did not perform very well in this type of evaluation.
I believe it was during my time as a junior grade student that I began to recognize and label myself as someone who is not good at math. My family accepted the fact that I was not good at math and assumed that I had inherited my father’s poor math skills. Throughout the rest of my elementary school experience with math, I dismissed myself as someone who would never be successful in math. I did not ask for help in math, I mostly just hoped my teachers would overlook me so that I would not have to continue to put my effort into something that I felt was hopeless. However, I did not resent my teachers for not focusing on my math needs. As I was a strong student in almost every other subject, I understood that there were students much more deserving of their attention than I was. In grade eight we were divided into academic and applied strands of math, and although I was performing poorly at this point my teachers encouraged me to continue in academic. In this class I was given a good amount of one-on-one direction and was able to perform successfully, but math was still an abstract concept to me. Manipulatives were mot encouraged at all in intermediate grades at my school. I still remember dividing huge numbers by drawing dots inside circles and always being told this was wrong because I couldn’t prove it in a formula. This was very discouraging as I felt that the only way I could understand math was not validated.
In high school, I was able to take academic mathematics and was able to maintain marks in the 60’s and 70’s. Although I struggled with strands such as algebra, I was able to make up marks in areas like area and perimeter. I feel it was easier for me to understand topics that could potentially have direct real life application. In the eleventh grade my guidance councillor encouraged me to take the math for college or university. To my surprise I performed fairly well in this course. I feel this was because it was a combination of applied and academic students so I was with peers closer to my skill level. The teacher was able to direct their instruction at a level I could keep up with. Although instruction was still very teacher lead and one-directional, it was on a more compatible level with my skills.
In university, I was dreading the fact that I was required to take a math class, EDUC 2010 with Dr. Ruth Beatty. To my surprise this was the class I have enjoyed the most throughout my whole university career, as well as the highest mark I have ever earned in a course. The new ways of teaching math are very conducive to the ways that I think about math.
As a future educator, I am both nervous and excited to teach math. I am nervous because I still have an overarching feeling of doubt in my abilities, and would not want students to hold this same doubt. However, I am excited because I feel like the new math strategies will allow me to reach many more children in a way that they will understand. It is my goal that students will feel confident in their math skills, at that they will not be devalued for approaching math in an ‘out of the box’ way, just as I used to. I feel that students should be praised for their understanding, and that by looking for clues of their thinking we will be better equipped to guide them towards success. I feel it is also important that math be taught in a concrete way, rather than abstractly. To me, it should not only matter if a student is able to come to the correct conclusion, but if they are able to explain their thinking and have strong numbersense.
I believe it was during my time as a junior grade student that I began to recognize and label myself as someone who is not good at math. My family accepted the fact that I was not good at math and assumed that I had inherited my father’s poor math skills. Throughout the rest of my elementary school experience with math, I dismissed myself as someone who would never be successful in math. I did not ask for help in math, I mostly just hoped my teachers would overlook me so that I would not have to continue to put my effort into something that I felt was hopeless. However, I did not resent my teachers for not focusing on my math needs. As I was a strong student in almost every other subject, I understood that there were students much more deserving of their attention than I was. In grade eight we were divided into academic and applied strands of math, and although I was performing poorly at this point my teachers encouraged me to continue in academic. In this class I was given a good amount of one-on-one direction and was able to perform successfully, but math was still an abstract concept to me. Manipulatives were mot encouraged at all in intermediate grades at my school. I still remember dividing huge numbers by drawing dots inside circles and always being told this was wrong because I couldn’t prove it in a formula. This was very discouraging as I felt that the only way I could understand math was not validated.
In high school, I was able to take academic mathematics and was able to maintain marks in the 60’s and 70’s. Although I struggled with strands such as algebra, I was able to make up marks in areas like area and perimeter. I feel it was easier for me to understand topics that could potentially have direct real life application. In the eleventh grade my guidance councillor encouraged me to take the math for college or university. To my surprise I performed fairly well in this course. I feel this was because it was a combination of applied and academic students so I was with peers closer to my skill level. The teacher was able to direct their instruction at a level I could keep up with. Although instruction was still very teacher lead and one-directional, it was on a more compatible level with my skills.
In university, I was dreading the fact that I was required to take a math class, EDUC 2010 with Dr. Ruth Beatty. To my surprise this was the class I have enjoyed the most throughout my whole university career, as well as the highest mark I have ever earned in a course. The new ways of teaching math are very conducive to the ways that I think about math.
As a future educator, I am both nervous and excited to teach math. I am nervous because I still have an overarching feeling of doubt in my abilities, and would not want students to hold this same doubt. However, I am excited because I feel like the new math strategies will allow me to reach many more children in a way that they will understand. It is my goal that students will feel confident in their math skills, at that they will not be devalued for approaching math in an ‘out of the box’ way, just as I used to. I feel that students should be praised for their understanding, and that by looking for clues of their thinking we will be better equipped to guide them towards success. I feel it is also important that math be taught in a concrete way, rather than abstractly. To me, it should not only matter if a student is able to come to the correct conclusion, but if they are able to explain their thinking and have strong numbersense.