1. Courtney’s Math
Autobiography
Mentors & Moments from my math history

2. Overview
Math has always been an enjoyable subject for me. I liked the idea of
being able to find an answer to a solution and get the satisfaction of
knowing I did it “right.” For my entire math career, I was taught in a
very traditional way, so I am surprised I like math as much as I do. I
was in accelerated math classes starting in fifth grade all the way
through high school. What I am starting to realize now is that I was
really good at memorizing algorithms and “doing the math” so I
always got an A in math class. When forced to really think through
the “why” of math, I feel like I don’t really understand it as well as I
thought I did. I want my future students to deeply and fully
understand math concepts, so I am taking it upon myself to relearn
math so that I can teach them in a better way than I was taught.

3. My mom & dad
My earliest math mentors are my mom and dad. They
always took the time to help me (or try to help me) with my
own math homework, even when it started to become more
complicated and they didn’t really know how to help. My
mom has always said she likes math and even took some
classes to become an accountant for a while. Because she
liked math, I always knew it was okay to be a girl and like
math. I never felt like I needed to “dumb down” my own math
knowledge in order to fit in.

4. Timed Tests
I absolutely loved timed tests! At home, my parents did flashcards with me and
taught me little tricks to remember the answers. I was so excited when I passed
a timed test and got to move on to the next level. I was never competitive with
other people - just myself. Looking back now, I don’t think that speed should be
overly emphasized in mathematics. I just happen to have a very good memory
and have a knack for memorizing things. I don’t think this makes me any better
at math, though, than someone else who still works on a problem, just at a
slower speed. What I would like to incorporate into my classroom is some way
for students to compete against themselves and feel internally motivated to do
better. I also think I liked the fact that there were levels to pass in timed tests -
perhaps I can incorporate games and gaming into my math curriculum for those
students who like to “beat the levels.”

5. The test that would
determine my future...
In 4th grade, I was recommended by my teacher to take the test that would
determine whether or not I would be placed in an advanced math class the next
year. I just barely passed the test, so it was up to my parents and I to decided if
I wanted to be in the advanced class. We decided that I could try it out and see
how it went. There were just four of us in the fifth grade at my school who were
in the class, so we met as a small group a few times a week. On my third
quarter report card of that year, my teacher wrote that I was understanding
concepts separately, but was having a hard time seeing how they are connected
as a whole. From there, I ended up making much more progress and stayed on
the advanced math track. The most bizarre part of the whole thing was that
we were often pulled out of language arts or other classes besides math because
we had to work around the schedule of the gifted and talented teacher. I didn’t
like having to make up work in other subjects that I missed because I was pulled
out for math. While I was glad to be in the advanced math class, I don’t like the
fact that my classes were tracked starting in middle school. This has made me
contemplate how all students can be challenged, but in another way than
tracking.

6. Drama in Math
In 6th grade, one of our math assignments was to create some sort of drama
piece from a mathematical property. My group was assigned the associative
property. We decided to create a skit about three friends. Two of the friends
were best friends, but then they got in a fight, so one of the friends decided to
make a new best friend. The pair of best friends was supposed to be like the
numbers inside the parentheses and the switch of the best friend was supposed to
show the switching of the parentheses. It was too complicated to follow, though,
so nobody could guess what property we were describing. Besides that, though, it
was very exciting to be doing something a little bit different in math. We always
did the same thing each day. In my own classroom, I want to establish routines,
but also use a range of creative activities to change it up and make math an
exciting subject to learn.

7. Small group work time
In 7th grade, we were taught in a very traditional manner. Each day went
exactly the same: First, a copy of the answers from the teacher’s manual was
placed on the overhead so we could correct our papers. Then, we would give our
score to the teacher and she would record it in her grade book. After that, we
would have our lesson for the day where our teacher would stand at the
whiteboard and lecture for the most part. But after that, the exciting part
happened. We were allowed to work on the homework assignment in small
groups. In all my previous classes, we had to sit at our desk and work on our
assignment individually. In this class, though, we could sit where ever we wanted
and do the homework. What I learned from this is that math is more fun when
you can move around the room and sit on the floor, if you want, instead of your
desk. What I would change, though, is the structure of the small groups. We
often didn’t actually do any of our homework - we would just sit and chat. I
want students in my classroom to actually use each other as resources and think
through mathematical concepts together.

8. Larry Henderson
My freshman year of high school, I was in Algebra II and Mr. Henderson was my
teacher. At the end of the year, he was one of my favorite teachers. He always
held high expectations of us and was phenomenal in explaining content. After we
got to know him, he started to joke around with us and made class fun. For
example, when I had him again my senior year of high school he would play
calculus songs for us. Before every single test, he would say, “Good luck, not that
you need it.” He always portrayed a sense of confidence in us, and even if you
didn’t do so well on a test or assignment, he would never make you feel like you
failed. He always said he wanted to use tests as learning opportunities, so after
every test you could redo the problems and meet with him to explain why you got
a question wrong and how you would do it differently. If you could explain it well,
you would get half of the credit back. I want to be a teacher that, like Mr.
Henderson, makes my students feel confident and comfortable.

9. AP Calc ABC
My junior year of high school, I was in PDM and on track to do
Calc AB my senior year. My PDM teacher recommended me for
a pilot program for the next year where I would take Calc AB
and BC all in one year instead of two. The class was named Calc
ABC and there were 7 of us in the class. I had Mr. Henderson,
the same teacher I had my freshman year. This was my
favorite math class I have ever had. It was such a small group
of us that we really became a learning community and relied on
each other. Even though my future classes will most likely be
large, I want to create these same sense of community between
my students by dividing the class into smaller groups that
regularly meet so they can get to know each other really well
over the course of the year.

10. Michael Loper
One of my really good friends during middle school and high school was
Michael Loper. He was in my advanced math classes with me and is a
genius! He went to UW Madison my sophomore year and helped me with my
math homework. I was in Calculus III and had a professor I could barely
understand. I had such a hard time in the class. Loper would come over once
a week and help me with my math homework, taking the time to re-explain
the concepts and guide me to understanding. Originally he planned on
majoring in engineering, but has now decided to become a high school math
teacher, which is what I told him he should do all along! Loper’s patience and
genuine enthusiasm for math are two teacher traits I want to carry with
me.