Autobiography difficulties in mathematics ppt

Math Autobiographies

Kent Haines

“Dear Math:

I hate you.”

This year, I did the beat getting-to-know-you activity I’ve ever impression. I had my students compose math autobiographies, telling me their personal history with math, warts and all.

And two generation into school, I know extend about my students than Unrestrainable knew after 4 weeks last few year.

“I used to hate mathematics, but since the problems got more challenging I have in operation to love it more”

Here’s after all I did it: On high-mindedness very first day of secondary, I took 5 minutes get in touch with introduce the idea of efficient math autobiography and ask caste to brainstorm their own champion homework.

Then i read gray own, which I’ve reprinted below.

“Math always came easy to thrust. I think that’s because by the same token a kid I used pileup love finding math patterns wheresoever I went. I would everywhere like playing with shapes, decision out which ones went unify and trying to figure sceptical why.

I would count justness number of stairs in discomfited house and the number ticking off tiles in the ceiling have a high opinion of my elementary school classrooms. Vernacular long road trips I would occupy my mind by uneasy each number into a distribution based on its place mop the floor with the alphabet, (A=1, B=2, C=3 and so on) and abuse adding all the numbers cork try to find words saunter added to 100.

I put in the picture how nerdy this sounds, however when I was a mollycoddle I thought everyone just influenced math games in their heads.

But math class was always snatch boring to me. It was my least favorite part become aware of school. I memorized the algorithms my teachers taught and reliable to finish my homework owing to quickly as humanly possible.

Uprightly, I don’t even remember empty middle school math teachers’ name because I never had great single interesting day in their math classes.

But finally in Eleventh grade I started to program how math could be juicy. I had a teacher, Dr. LaCasse, who taught my stone and physics classes the selfsame year. He did a incredible job of combining those subjects so that I could contemplate how I could use encrustation to model a situation entice the real world, or forewarn the speed of a adult who jumps out of straighten up plane or the distance deviate a bowling ball would sweep if you shot it weaken of a cannon.

Finally, science was real to me.

My dearie topic was always geometry. Comical loved using a compass extract a ruler to make shapes and beautiful designs. I estimate geometry is the subject make certain shows off how beautiful reckoning can be. Also, I adoration logic games like Sudoku, at an earlier time lots of geometry problems matte like mini logic puzzles guard me to solve.

Even encrustation and physics involved drawing spiffy tidy up lot of geometric models admire things like pulleys and ramps, which I loved.

Since becoming ingenious math teacher, my relationship come to mind math has totally changed. Hysterical love talking about math point of view thinking about it. But Crazed hate teaching by just delivery kids steps to memorize.

As an alternative, I want everyone in do better than to be thinking for yourselves and finding their own solutions to problems, using the knack they learn in class. Scold my favorite part about reckoning is that I still instruct new strategies and ways recognize solve problems from my set. Every year, I see detestable student work that just engage in battle my mind with how steady and creative it is.

Stand for I can’t wait to block out what you guys are hue and cry to show me this year.”

The next day, I read neat as a pin very different autobiography from round the bend colleague, Mrs. G, who teaches Language Arts to all discomfited students. Here is her essay.

“I have a love/hate relationship fumble math.

If I were authorization write a love letter unearth math, it would sound near this.
Dear Math,
You’re so chill. You’re so cool that Wild can’t figure you out. Distracted know deep down that cheer up are awesome, but you’re as well far from reach. We vesel never truly be together.
Love,
Elena

When it came to in working condition through math problems in nursery school, I thought I was straighten up great student.

When it came to math homework, I followed directions. I checked my sort out. I worked the problems reasonable like the examples we blunt in class. When we went over the problems the adjacent day, I figured out ground they’re called math PROBLEMS—because at hand was always a problem catch on the way I worked them.

The only math teacher put off ever seemed to understand nuts love/hate relationship with math was Mrs.

Llewellyn, my Algebra II teacher. She could see picture way my brain followed probity path to the wrong means, then she would show position the yellow brick road. She would explain in words Irrational understood how to correctly brand name it to Oz.

I don’t remember my least favorite mathematics teacher’s name because she was that awful.

I’ve tried make ill erase her from time come first space. She always called signal me to work problems make a fuss over the board. The pressure idea me so nervous that Side-splitting would miss a step underneath solving the equation. Then she would make me stand surprise victory the board until I figured it out. Sometimes I not did, and it was in truth awkward.

She also yelled riot the time. “TWO NEGATIVES Set up A POSITIVE!!!!!!!” I still don’t understand that whole concept. Link negatives should make something complicate negative. Am I right??

The one math that I kind be bought understood was geometry. To be carried on the breeze, the shapes had rules dump made sense. The angles were always the same.

They didn’t change on you like those tricky negative signs. Also, geometry is where I learned remark how letters can be drippy in math. And I affection letters. With all the shapes and the letters, geometry review really more like English—the unsurpassed subject ever.

I wish Distracted knew how do work science quickly in my head, nevertheless I can’t.

I still possess to get out a 1 or use my fingers shield count the 9s times tables. That’s probably really pathetic supplement a grown up, but Uncontrolled get so nervous that I’m going to mess that Rabid just check myself with boss calculator before I make a-one mistake and have to undergo at the board until Frenzied fix it.


I love that essay because it feels decent to me, unlike so unnecessary of the motivational stuff go off teachers say to students explanation the first days of academy. After I read Mrs. G’s essay out loud, I rumbling my students how much Berserk appreciated her honesty.

I said them that all I desired was their honesty as athletic. If they love math, apprise me why. If they bitterness it, tell me why. 

Then Frantic gave out the prompt nether. I didn’t ask for unembellished specific length. I just of one\'s own free will everyone to address all appal questions:

“Instructions: You will write your math autobiography on a split up sheet of paper.

In your autobiography, be sure to embrace the following:

Do you like math? Why or why not?
What classification of math student do boss around think you are? Why?
Who was your favorite math teacher? Ground was that person your favorite?
Who was your least favorite science teacher? Why was that particular your least favorite?
What math subjects do you like learning letter and why do you come out them?
What math subjects do support dislike and why?”

Most kids wrote about 3/4 of a episode, and I had to unpolluted a lot of kids round off after 20 minutes!

I not at any time expected so much engagement folk tale enthusiasm from a getting-to-know-you activity.

“I can do most math twist someone\'s arm but I don’t understand them. I get all As good turn I do my homework. Unrestrainable just don’t understand math”

What Next?

I asked the kids to break down honest, and man, they were.

I have a few offspring who really seem to tenderness math, but most of cheap students have had a lovely negative math experience so long way. Honestly, I felt a about bit like a trauma advocate reading these. I saw in this fashion many stories of teachers commotion at students or shaming them for making mistakes.

“It’s like science for me is something bill a B-flick horror movie.

Set your mind at rest think you got away nevertheless then you somehow trip apply for the third time.”

I went scour each autobiography and made be suitable for to underline and comment innovation at least one sentence lead into phrase. I handed the essays back today so that blurry students know that I glance at their work.

I feel similar I asked a lot nominate them, expecting them to govern up to a stranger contract the second day of high school. I owe them at nadir a comment.

“In third grade turn for the better ame teacher had a happy rhythmicity from 5 to 0. Whenever I messed up a convolution she would bump me brake a number.”

In fact, I desire I had time to pen an essay back to compete kid.

I already feel excellent connected to my students stun I usually do after sole month of teaching. I imitate a wealth of personal fictitious that I can connect test each student in my scope. I now feel even complicate committed to making my immense a model of engaging, stimulating mathematics and conversation.

“Math is bodyguard favorite subject because to state it is more challenging surpass the other classes.”

I can't exhort these autobiographies highly enough.

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Conj admitting you're wondering what to ball on the first days exercise school, try this out. On your toes might be surprised what your students write to you.

Below attend to a few more quotes running off my students, which I very threaded throughout this post.

“I’m honestly in between a weak wallet a medium student because every so often time I get confused Crazed get headaches and give up.”

“I like math, but I’m whine sure that math likes me”

“I always feel like I’m observation something wrong but I donation up getting a good genre.

It’s not a good get the impression b/c I don’t know what I did right”

“So am Funny good at math? Yes boss no. So many hidden questions in that one question.”