mathography

Whether we like it or not, good or bad, we all have a history with mathematics. In your quest to learn mathematics, I am asking you to reflect on your history with mathematics and experiences in math classes by writing a mathography. A mathography is similar to an autobiography except it is focused on your personal history with mathematics. This is a chance for you to reflect on your personal history with math and also an opportunity to share your mathematical experiences with me. Try to make it interesting; I will be reading a lot of these!

Please write your mathography in a letter format addressed to me. Your letter should address the questions below. Please write in complete sentences and use correct grammar. I want to be impressed by your intelligence!

About you (answer at least 5):

  • What are your interests, talents, hobbies?
  • Who is someone you look up to or admire?
  • What are your dreams and goals?
  • What things/qualities do you value?
  • How many people are in your family?
  • Do you like school? What is your favorite class?
  • Is there anything I need to know about you that would help you learn better?
  • Tell me anything about yourself that you feel I should know or something you are proud of.

You as a math student (answer at least 5):

  • How do you feel about math? Do you like or dislike it? Why do you feel that way?
  • Are you "good" at mathematics? Explain.
  • Do you like some areas of mathematics better than others? If so, which ones do you like or dislike? Why do you like or dislike them?
  • What makes math great or horrible for you?
  • What experiences in math have you liked? Why?
  • Describe your most memorable experience in learning math (good or bad).
  • How do you feel about taking the math class you are taking this year? What do you expect to learn about?
  • What type of things do you think are important to help students learn math?

On the back of this sheet is my own mathography. I just went down the list of questions and answered each one to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Please read it as an example of what your letter should look like.

Dear students,

In addition to teaching math, my interests include playing with my dog, cooking and baking, traveling, exercising, reading, learning about new cultures, cheering on the Tar Heels in any sport, and spending time with friends and family. I admire my older sister, Jill. She has shown that hard work and perseverance can lead to success in both her professional and personal life. She is a wonderful mother to my 3-year-old nephew and 10-month-old niece and is a teacher like me. Jill gives great advice and I can always count on her for help or support. My goal is always to improve as a teacher, so please let me know if there is ever anything that I can do to help support you in math. I love learning new things and am excited to be a part of the learning process every day. My favorite classes in high school were math (of course) and history. I learn best by talking about what I am learning and asking questions. I value honesty, effort, inquisitiveness, and kindness.

I like math because it is very logical and I find it fascinating when I can see connections between different areas of math. Math got really tough for me in college when I had to start proving things that I thought were obvious (like the existence of perpendicular lines and the fact that the square root of 2 is irrational). This made me think more deeply about the world around me and I was able to apply these logical reasoning skills to other content areas as well. I felt like I was really good in math in high school because I always paid attention and did my work; but I felt challenged by math in college and for a while I questioned my math abilities. By working with a study group and going to my professors’ office hours, I eventually regained my confidence in math.

One of the most memorable experiences in learning math was when I finished my exam for a class called Real Analysis. I spent an average of 20 hours per week with my study group completing the homework and preparing for class. I had a lot of trouble throughout the semester making connections between the material and I went to my professor’s office hours (kind of like tutoring) regularly to ask questions. He made me stand up at the white board and start writing out my thoughts for tough proofs. He would ask me questions to help me keep going when I got stuck. When I was studying for the final exam, everything started falling into place and I spent the full 3 hours writing out detailed proofs for the final exam. When I finished the exam, I felt like everything finally made sense and I realized that I had learned more in this course than in any other math class I had taken. Real Analysis required a lot of hard work, but it was worth it in the end because it made me a better mathematician and teacher.

My favorite areas of math are algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and topology (you should look this up if you don’t know what it is!). Geometry and statistics were always less interesting to me. I think this was because I didn’t always understand where the theorems and formulas come from. The things that I think are important to help students learn math are looking for patterns, making predictions, explaining/listening to others, and not giving up on hard problems.

Sincerely,

Ms. Freiberg