As long as I can remember, I have struggled with math and comprehending the subject material. I continually struggled with solving the problems and coming up with the correct answer, which resulted in me being placed into a special education math class when I was in sixth grade. This classroom setting was much smaller than my regular class size, and I was in a class with other students like me who were also struggling with math. The special education math teacher was a nice lady who helped me to understand math better by slowing down the lesson and helping me comprehend it. I learned the same concepts as my peers in my regular class, but just at a slower pace with more explanations and a different way of solving the problems. I continued to learn math in a special education class until I was a sophomore in high school.
In middle school, I was content with being in a special education math class, but I strongly disliked being in that class my freshman year of high school. For me, the worst part about being in a special education math class was feeling inferior to my friends and peers, as well as being labeled with having a learning disability. While my friends were learning Geometry, I was in Algebra I again, which was the same math class that I had taken in eighth grade. My class had only covered the first half of the book, when the rest of the grade had learned the entire book. During my freshman year, I began to get annoyed with being in the special education math class, and I did not want to be in it anymore. I felt as though I understood the material completely and that I was ready to take a regular math class again, like I did when I was in elementary school.
When my sophomore year arrived, I knew that taking Geometry in a regular class was going to be much more difficult, and I was determined to do my absolute best in the class. I struggled and quickly discovered that I disliked finding the angles in shapes. Thankfully, I had the sweetest and most understanding math teacher who helped me tremendously with understanding the content and the homework assignments. Almost every morning before school started, I would go in for help with my homework, and she was patient with me when I didn’t understand how to solve the problems. My hard work and dedication to learning math showed through on my homework and tests. My goal was to get an A in Geometry, and I accomplished that goal with the help of my wonderful and sweet teacher.
I was grateful to have this same teacher my junior year for Algebra II, and she was fully dedicated to having her students be successful. As I look back, my favorite high school math teacher definitely met her students where they were because she would pause when teaching the lesson to scan everyone’s faces in the class and ensure that we all understood the material. If a majority of the class did not understand the new material that we had learned that day, she would continue the same lesson into the next day to help us understand it better. This was beneficial for me and helped me feel more confident when I would try the homework assignment for the new topic. I was determined to earn an A in Algebra II as well, and my wonderful math teacher assisted me in accomplishing this by explaining the homework problems to me in-depth and explaining the concepts in other ways when I did not understand them.
Tying my struggles with math during my middle school and high school years into my freshman year of college is relevant because I am currently struggling in my math class. I am currently taking Math 120, and this class is extremely difficult for me. The professor is having the class think about math in a completely different and new way. Instead of simply solving a problem and coming up with an answer, now we are required to draw diagrams and explain them, explain to a student how to solve the problem, and explain the concept in a different way by providing examples if the student does not understand the concept. I have never done math this way, and I am struggling with comprehending the material that I am learning.
The math that I am learning is elementary math, and the homework is tremendously challenging. I normally spend around four to six hours on my math homework, and it is particularly time-consuming. I am frustrated with myself and with the class because once I finally think that I understand how to solve the problem and explain it, I end up being wrong. Attending the professor’s office hours has been helpful, but I often still feel confused after asking questions and having him explain the problems to me. Receiving a horrible grade on my first math test is discouraging; however, I am going to strive to do my best in this class and remain dedicated to learning math in this new way.
-Mya LaFreniere
Thanks for sharing the story of your journey Mya. I appreciate your determination and perseverance. The good news is that learning math this way will be directly applicable to your ability to teach math to your students. The steep road now will pay off when you are working with children who, like you, are struggling to understand.
One of the dispositions included in the Arch 1 criteria is “empathy.” Because of your difficulties with math, I expect that you will be the same kind of patient and “sweet” teacher who will help her students work through the challenges. In my experience, it is easier to be empathetic if you have had similar experiences.
Stay strong.
Peace,
Dr. R