Mathematics Autobiography (Ed. 3940)

I have trouble remembering specific experiences from math classes in my Primary and Elementary years but I do remember that I did not dislike mathematics during this time. when I think about mathematics classes in these years the experiences that I vaguely remember are the ones where we, as the students, were actively learning by doing. For example, I remember using manipulatives such as 'counters' (which were small coin-sized, clear objects that we used to count and do simple math) and I remember making our own geometric shapes with paper and tape and also learning to count money, where we had plastic and paper money to practice and learn with. Reflecting on these memories being the only few that I remember, it is interesting that they are the ones where the students in the class were learning by doing and actively learning about a topic. This very much relates to my way of learning now as an adult because I am the type of learner who learns by doing, experimenting and creating. I need to be using my hands and my brain at the same time, if a teacher is teaching I need to be making notes and writing and if I am being shown how to use or do something, I need to have it in my hands while the person explains each step. I think there are a large amount of students who learn in this way and I think by getting the students to actively participate in activities rather than listen to the teacher talk about a topic for long periods of time will make the learning experience more memorable. My mathematics classroom from K-6 was not a very interactive one but I really believe that students should be active while learning, they should be given a variety of different opportunities to understand a concept.

My very worst memory of math as a young student is from when I was in grade four. Our class was learning about multiplication and division and I was really having trouble memorizing the multiplication tables and my teacher had pointed me out to answer a question on the board. I was so nervous and so scared that I would get the answer wrong and on top of these feelings I had to stand in front of my class and solve this problem on the board. when I got to the front of the class the teacher handed me the chalk and told me to answer the problem, I stood there and my mind was blank, I did not know the answer and I felt very embarrassed. The teacher looked at me after a minute of silence and said "well are you going to solve the problem or are you stupid?" I then felt even more embarrassed that I did not know the answer so I went back to my seat and sat with my face touching my desk and my arms folded around my face so that no one could see that I was crying. I remember leaving school that day and not ever wanting to come back. I felt like I was a complete failure and that I would never be able to do math because I was stupid. After that year I became a little more confident with mathematics because I had had some very positive and encouraging math teacher to help me along he way. I am still nervous when it comes to math and if I am ever put on the spot to answer a math question my brain goes completely blank and it is very difficult to feel confident about math.

For assessment in Elementary school, I remember doing math tests and having to study a unit or topic and write a test on it. I remember for some seat work we were paired with a buddy and we would work together as a team to complete a worksheet or an assigned set of questions from the textbook. Writing tests for math in grade 4, 5 and 6 then prepared us for junior and senior high where much of the assessment is exams. I had a wonderful math teacher in grade 10, 11 and 12, Mr. J. Ping. He was the most caring and patient teacher I have ever had. He was very concerned about a student's success in his class and he would do anything to help us better understand a topic. I would often stay after school with him and he would tutor me with topics I was not understanding. This was very helpful and I really loved how much he cared about me understanding a topic and how much effort he would put into helping me understand better.

I then went on to complete mathematics 1090 and mathematics 1051 in University. I do not consider mathematics to be one of my strong points but I truly believe that my high school math teacher helped build my confidence in math and helped me learn that its okay if I did not understand something. He taught me that teachers are there to help students understand and I should not be afraid to admit that I do not understand something, their job is to help students understand.