I learned math as a student. I understand it and I like to teach it. Math is my strongest subject when I was a young kid. I never studied for my math assessments when I was in elementary school and middle school. During my sophomore year in high school, I realized that I had to study for my math assessments. Math was taught at a fast pace in high school. I forgot what I did in the math problems when I was taking the assessments. It was easy when I did them in class and for homework. To do well in my math assessments, I had to take some time to do more math problems. In other words, I had to do extra practice at home. This helped me a lot in my math classes from sophomore year to senior year in high school.
As a college student, I did not choose math as my major. I chose another subject as my major. However, I learned that it was best to teach math. I am a linear person, meaning I can tell what is right and wrong. I am not definite because I cannot criticize different answers. I learned that I could teach math during my senior year of high school. I had to tutor fifth graders who were struggling with math at an elementary school. I could teach math and because I could teach it, I grew to like it.
I found the reason why I should teach math. There was a summer when I tutored math to incoming college freshmen that were part of the education opportunity fund program. I heard from the freshman that they failed the math placement test and got placed in elementary math. They were taking majors that require them to take a calculus class at college. They will not be able to take calculus until they clear all the prerequisite classes to enter the calculus class. Some of their friends and classmates will be able to take calculus as early as they can while they have to wait later on to take it. I grew to believe that I should teach math so that students can stay together in the same math class and be proficient with their elementary math skills. A lot of math classes will require them to use elementary math.
I will never forget my journey in math and I hope to keep teaching elementary math to elementary students and middle school students.
