My Mathography

As with any autobiography, this “mathography” starts at the beginning of my math career. My early math years were spent doing many of the same things other students do in their primary years. I learned concepts like my multiplication tables, long division, and other basic math facts. I enjoyed practicing these basic facts and seeing how quickly I could recite them. I mostly enjoyed math because it came easy for me. However, one thing with which I struggled from the beginning was word problems. I just could not identify with Timmy and Mary and why they were buying apples and why they didn’t just get an apple from the refrigerator instead of buying a brand new one. I obviously struggled when it came to finding ways to apply math and thrived when it came to memory, recall, and basic calculations.
I can remember two learning activities in math very vividly, and they both occurred in the second grade. The first activity I can remember was a positive experience for me. It was the first time I had learned long division and double-digit multiplication. I was so proud that I could manipulate such large numbers. I can even remember having my dad give me practice problems on the chalkboard that my grandparents had in the hallway of their old house. The second activity was much more frustrating for me. My teacher gave us a worksheet that had a series of word problems about ice-skating. I hate ice-skating. No other sport has caused greater frustration or embarrassment in my life. Suffice it to say that I could not find a way to identify with these problems. I became so frustrated that I started to cry in the middle of class. Even now, this is an embarrassing memory for me, but it helps me to identify with the frustrations that some of my students feel on a daily basis in the math classroom.
Two teachers greatly impacted my decision to become a math teacher and cultivated my love of math. As I think back, I realize that neither of them used any Earth-shattering teaching techniques. They simply encouraged me to pursue my interest in the subject further. In third grade, Mrs. Arndt first helped me to realize that I had a gift in the subject. She provided all of her students with lots of positive feedback, praise, and encouragement. She also allowed me to work ahead of the rest of my classmates. This suited my personality very well. As I worked to get as far as I could, I found myself enjoying math more and more. The second teacher had more of an influence on my decision to become a teacher. Mr. Kellam was my math teacher for Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus. I went to a very small high school, and Mr. Kellam had been around forever. He had taught my mom and all of her siblings, and as of today he is currently teaching my youngest sister in her sophomore year. Mr. Kellam constantly facilitated peer-to-peer instruction. Every example problem was explained by a student. As I grew older, I found myself enjoying this practice more and more. When I went back to visit on one of my breaks, there was no one happier than Mr. Kellam to learn that I had become a math teacher.
I always enjoyed math. However, science was always my favorite subject. It wasn’t that I disliked mathematics; I just saw science as having greater application in the real world. My personality causes me to search for ways to apply what I learned. Physics and chemistry provided me with ways to apply what I had learned in math to the real world. While teaching math pays the bills for me, I will always be more fascinated with science and exploration of the physical world.