Math Autobiography

• What did mathematics in your classroom look like (kindergarten-grade 6)? Be descriptive. 
• Thinking back on my elementary school days, I really can't recall many experiences (good or bad) involving mathematics. I can recall times tables being posted on the walls and baskets of counting blocks being placed throughout the classroom, but other than that I'm drawing a blank. I'm not sure why I can't recall many specific examples, however, if I was to fathom a guess I would say it may be because I wasn't fond or mathematics in elementary school, or that I was not privy to a positive mathematical environment. 

• What is your best and (or) worst memory surrounding mathematics in your primary and elementary years? How might this have affected your views about mathematics now as an adult?
• As I've previously mentioned, my memory regarding mathematics is hazy at best; however, I do remember assembling the individual counting blocks into block-gun's with my friends (this spanned all grade levels, sadly). This provides me with an unbiased point of view on mathematics, and one which has been shaped through my latter school years, more specifically during the time I've spent at Memorial.

• Were you "good" or "not good" at math? How did you know this? 
• I wouldn't consider myself good, or bad at mathematics; It's sad to say, but until university (some time in to university I should add) I had absolutely no interest in mathematics. I always did well enough in math in elementary school and I never came across any issues until junior high. I would rarely study math in junior high and high school which led me to believe that I was inherently bad at math and I just accepted that; It wasn't until university that I realized how engaging math could actually be. 

•  What was the role of the teacher in your math classes? How do you think they felt about mathematics? 
• I feel as though the role of the teacher was to simply be a facilitator of knowledge. I can't recall any specific example of my math teacher going above and beyond to help a student, or trying to interject fun activities in to the curriculum. In light of this, I can only assume that my teachers had a very negative idea of mathematics and viewed it as a burden more than anything. 

• What did assessment look like? 
• My only memory of math assessment involve pencil and paper testing which always resulted in bringing your test home and getting it signed by your parents; which never led to anything good. 

• Tell briefly about math in high school.
• I treated high school math the same way as junior high math, just something I needed to do. I've come to realize since high school that I was in a type of catch-22 situation, whereby I knew just enough to not have to study much, but because I didn't study I never enjoyed math like I did in university. In my final year of high school I was maintaining a mid-80 average when our teacher (who we all loved) left for another job at CONA. His replacement was very boring and painful to listen to; as a result, my marks dropped and my interest in math dwindled on non-existence. 

•  What math courses did you take in university?
• My first math course in the fall of 2007 - it was math 1090, which I failed miserably. I wasn't ready for the responsibility of learning course material yourself and the lack of one-on-one time with the teacher. Since then I've completed math 1050, and 1051, which I enjoyed tremendously. I completed these courses in 2011/2012 and it was through these courses that I discovered that actually studying and asking questions can enhance your understanding tenfold.

• Did you take any math electives?
•  I have not taken any math electives; I looked in to taking some math courses following math 1051 but none worked well with my education courses. 

• Do/did you engage with mathematics in your life in major ways?
• I do use mathematics on a daily basis; whether it's in a monetary sense, or calculating how many bottles of oil a car requires (working in a garage). I don't consider math to be a major part of my life, as I don't walk around envisioning numbers and equations everywhere. However, I do realize that it is an essential part of my day-to-day life. 

•  How do you feel about mathematics now?
• I can honestly say that I now enjoy mathematics. I like solving problems (math or not) and I love the rhythm you can get in to when solving an equation. I'm not at the point where I would like to pick up calculus in my spare time.... but maybe some day.