My Math Autobiography

Looking back on my K-6 mathematics experiences:

Primary and Elementary School happened in what seems as a life time ago, but this is what I do remember about my math experiences:

- I don't remember much about how math was set up in our classroom, but I do remember that we were always seated in groups of four. I remember our teacher grouping us together in the beginning of the year and rearranging us into different groups every month.

- In grade 2 when we started with our multiplication times table our teacher made us do up a chart that we were too tape onto our desks and look at whenever we were stuck for an answer. 

- We also were responsible for learning one row of of our multiplication times table every week. In the beginning of every class at the end of the week, our teacher use to ask us questions about our times table, for example what is 2x2 and we would all reply 4.

- I remember using blocks to help figure out problems. Each student was allowed to get so many counting blocks, of hundredths, tenths and ones to use at their desk. We also used coloured counters for adding and subtraction.

- My best memory of mathematics was when our grade 4 class put off a class mathlete competition against the other grade 4 class. I remember it taking place in the lunch room, and we were divided up into teams. My team had gotten second place, and I remember being so happy to go home with a ribbon to show my parents. 

- I would like to think I was good at math, I always received good marks and I use to like math class and doing worksheets.  Our teacher also use to allow the students who were done first to go around helping the other students and I use to enjoy being able to help my friends. 

-My home room teacher was always my math teacher, I remember that I really liked my grade 2 and grade 4 teachers. They always use to make math class interesting by allowing us to help our classmates, by quizzing us and receiving a prize if we got all of their questions right. Grade 4 we did our competition against the other class that resulted in a pizza party afterwards.  I would like to think that  our teachers enjoyed teaching math, they always seemed to look forward to our math class, and the different activities that they would prepare for  our class to participate in and they always tried to make learning math fun for the whole class.

- From what I can remember we always had unit tests, and assignments or worksheets to complete.

- Math in highschool was totally different, it was divided into three different categories, basic, academic and advanced. I was in advance math for both grade 11 and grade 12. This was much more seat structured work, with a lot of practice and homework from the text book. I enjoyed math in high school a lot mostly because we had such an amazing teacher, who always kept the atmosphere calm and relaxing in our class. He made sure to do lots of examples on the board when teaching and we were always encouraged to ask lots of questions. As a class everyone was able to develop a good relationship with him because we had two different math courses, and sometimes would have math twice in one day. He made sure that every student was working to the best of their ability and was always eager to help whenever we needed it.

- In University I completed math 1090, and math 1000.

- Math is not something I would say was my favourite subject, but I did enjoy math up until I came and took math 1000. I feel that some of the knowledge that you learn in that course you will never use in everyday life, and taking this course really stressed me out. So other then my bad experience in taking this course, math was something that I enjoyed throughout school.

- Math is something that I do use a lot in everyday life, like when I go out shopping and I want to find the exact price of something when there is a discount, and especially at my summer job as a cashier. My math background comes in handy sometimes when I have to figure something out on the spot without using my cash/computer to help assist me.

So that's a bit about my math experience!