Reply To: Lesson 6-7 Question

[Tammy Gelenaw]

When I interviewed for my first teaching job 17 years ago, it was a round-table interview with principals from all three middle schools in the district. The interview went well, and the last question I was asked was what subject do you want to teach? Emphatically I said, “Anything but math or science.” A week later I was offered a job to teach 8th grade math, and thus began my journey as a math teacher, and a formerly math-injured student, began.

As a math teacher, I have struggled with helping students understand the math that I memorized formulas for when I was in school. I believe this struggle has helped me empathize with students and understand the challenges many of them have every time they enter my ‘math’ classroom.

I have been a huge proponent of mathematical mindset, but I have struggled with how to continue to challenge students to grow on a consistent basis. The Making Math Moments That Matter course has given me tools I can use to move forward to continue to challenge myself and students to engage in worthwhile and meaningful mathematics understanding.

I am excited to take the heroes journey with my students and I am very grateful for this course.