I completed the primary grades in a school in a small community on the Burin Peninsula and we were always told to work quietly and independently through various worksheets and only ask for assistance from the teacher. The only lessons where we were encouraged to work together was when we were using various manipulatives, such as blocks, counters and cards (which we were all very excited about when we would see the teacher pull these from the shelves!), and that seemed to be only because there was not enough materials for each student to have their own. My family and I moved to a town just outside of St. John's before I began grade four where I completed the elementary grades in a much larger school than I had previously attended. This school and my teachers gave me a very different experience in learning mathematics. All students were encouraged to work together through the various problems, offering assistance to each other wherever we could. For me, it transformed math into an interactive and enjoyable experience. The energy was always very high in the classroom throughout every mathematics lesson.
That seemed to be a turning point for me in how I viewed mathematics. I was always described as being someone who was "good" at mathematics and it was a subject which came quite easily to me and this was reflected in the marks I received throughout school. After my experience in the elementary grades, I began to enjoy the subject and this continued throughout my junior high and high school years.
In reflection, I find it quite difficult to gauge how my teachers in the primary and elementary grades seemed to feel about teaching mathematics. For some, it seemed as though they were going through the prescribed curriculum simply because it was something they were required to do. For others, they clearly had a passion for the subject and loved teaching it to their students. This was reflected in the creativity of their lessons. One of the most inspirational teachers I had throughout high school was my math teacher in grade ten. She shared with us that she had been diagnosed with dyscalculia, a specific developmental disorder where one has difficulty in areas such as understanding numbers and learning how to manipulate them. It was her love of the subject which drove her to overcome these difficulties she faced and through sharing this with us she taught us that we can truly become whatever we want in our lives no matter what obstacles may stand in our way.
No matter how the teacher conducted their math lessons, it seems that assessments always looked the same. It began with worksheets, assignments and unit tests and as we progressed into junior high and high school we were also required to write mid-term and final exams, all of which would be marked by the teacher. Tests and exams typically consisted of short answer questions where we were graded on our workings as well as the final answer. If there were any other forms of ongoing assessment completed by the teacher in the classroom, it was never seen or discussed with the students.
Although I would describe my experiences with mathematics throughout my school years as being mostly positive, I have only taken two mathematics courses since entering university, both of which were required for my degree program, Math 1050 and 1051. I don't feel as though there is any reason as to why I did not continue my formal education in mathematics, I guess it just comes down to the choice to pursue other interests through my chosen courses.
Math seems to have a rather poor reputation in our society today, probably because it is perceived as being difficult and detached from the real world. I'm sure we have all heard the same complaint I remember hearing countless times throughout school (and I am sure I have uttered it myself a time or two), "when am I actually going to use this in my life?". What many of us do not realize, however, is that math is all around us in many things we do. We use it in our jobs, when we make purchases, telling the time and even checking the weather. As an adult, I definitely see the importance of having good mathematical skills in our world and as a future teacher, it is a subject I will try to give my students positive experiences in, such as those I had in school, so my students can also enjoy mathematics!
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