Mathematics, just like other subjects across the curriculum look different in every classroom! Personally, I have had a fantastic experience with Math during my seventeen years as a student.
As a child in primary and elementary I had a different Math teacher every year, each one with their own unique teaching style. My very first memory with Math occurred on my Grade One class. I was sitting with my peers on a colorful rug in the back corner of our classroom. Our lovely teacher pulled a chair next to the chart paper and began to explain that we would add numbers together today. In her hands she held four different colored markers and continued to say that when it was our turn to write on the chart paper (I thought to myself WOW I get to write on Teacher paper) we could each choose a marker and show our friends an example of adding. Always eager to go first, up went my hand and I waited, and waited for what felt like forever for the teacher to call me up to the chart paper to do the first example. I already knew I would use the red marker, because their was no pink or purple to choose from. I wrote very large 2 + 2= 4. I can remember like it was yesterday the applause I received from my classmates when my teacher said I was correct. I can remember skipping back to my place on the rug joyfully with my curly hair bouncing, thinking of how happy my Mom would be when I told her my story during lunch time. I cannot remember a single thing that happened after I got back to the rug that day, but one thing is for certain that even at the age of six I loved the idea of showing my skills to others in the front of the classroom. I think that this one positive experience that I had as a child in Primary school set me on the right track to loving Math. I admit, I am not saying this one event was the only reason I liked math as a child, and I am not saying that I had no other positive experiences during primary school. I just feel that by starting out confident in a subject area can only be a BONUS for what was left to come. (We should all keep that in mind when we are out their in the classroom.)
As my school years progressed, I continued to love math, usually finishing first and moving on to what was considered more challenging problems. Do not take me wrong, I mean I loved doing these problems, but mainly I loved finishing quickly so I could walk around the classroom and help my peers. To me this was the BEST thing that could happen at school. My experience and ability to help others, helped me decide that a career in Education was right for me!
During high school mathematics I would always volunteer to do problems on the whiteboard. I loved opportunities where I could be the teacher! My peers and teachers both knew that I LOVED this experience and they would sometimes say why don't Samantha teach the class today. Well, I never actually got to teach class, but I did spend time tutoring my peers math.
Once, I started Math at MUN I found myself a tutor, not because I necessarily needed one, but because for some silly reason I wanted to get a 100% in every assignment. I love the feeling of achievement in Math, and the more paper used to complete a problem the more excitement I felt.
I use math often in my everyday life: at the grocery store, when buying clothing, when keeping track of calorie intake, when counting down the number of hours of sleep I can possibly get if I go to bed right NOW!
Math has always been around me and I LOVE IT!
No comments:
Post a Comment