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When I transitioned to Memphis I came with a background in ELA and a fear of Math. I found out shortly that I would be tasked with working with Math Content.  I accepted my task and worked hard to gain understanding of concepts and content, partnered with other Math professionals, and utilized available math resources to strengthen my knowledge and understanding in this area so that I could aid my students most effectively.  I feel connected to the core tenets through my perseverance  and rigor to be as effective as possible.

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My personal story that connects to the GCS Math Core Tenets, to some starts a little late, but for me started right on time. I went from computer science to government job to server to teacher. At first, I was running from teaching which is so crazy considering the fact that I have been playing teacher since first grade. Nevertheless, I was running, graduated college to become a server and then decide to face the music. So, I started graduate school at 27 then quit, and really started at 30. Through pregnancy and a thesis, I am not a fan of writing because I felt I never learned how, I made it. Perseverance, first year teaching at 31. Also, I have been constructing viable argument since undergrad, arguing why I was not a teacher. I do not like being wrong, especially wrong in front of people so I am stilling working on developing a culture of error within myself.

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GCS Math Core Tenets connects to my personal life in a way that it shows how things come to a full circle. Some areas require a heavier amount of energy and some come naturally. Perseverance is the one that sticks out the most to me, because there has to me the initial push with mistakes. Consistency + effort / Mistakes = Success.

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I graduated Valedictorian in high school. I went to a charter school targeted towards inner city, low performing student. Although I didn't fit into this criteria, I still decided to attend. My overall GPA was a 3.7. I wasn't pushed much at all. Everything came easy to me, but I have always felt I over excelled any requirements. In Middle school though, I had a very discouraging teacher. She did not believe in me, although I thought that i could achieve. In turn, this made me feel less than. (This is one of the reasons why I chose to teach) In my class, I'm going to make sure I teach all lessons with fidelity. I want to make sure that all scholars have a voice and feel opened to ask all questions. The culture of error is important to me. It is okay to make mistakes. I FAILED MY 1ST PRAXIS TEST (5169). I'm not perfect, but were all in this together! I'm going to push the 5 Core Tenets, as they all are equally important. At the top of the priority list is Student Engagement. Without this tenet, none of the others can exist. In my class, we are going to have discussions, and learn new or multiple ways to solve problems!

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From the grades K-4, I loved school. It all made sense and I may have had some challenges but I was a great student. It was time to go to middle school and that's where my love for school started to disappear. Everything seemed difficult especially Math. I HATED it. My father was very hard on me to succeed in school and it did not help that my sister (who was in Kindergarten) looked like the smart one. I started to give up and wanted to become the student that coasts or just get by but Mrs. Harden would not let that happen. She pushed me, made me spend my break time with her working on math concepts. My father also pushed me and offered help the best he could. After a while, everything come back full circle and I noticed a change in every academic subject. I realized it is normal to make mistakes and have weaknesses but someone not giving up on you gives you that push when you are in a slump. I went on to 6th grade advanced math and follow that track and graduated taking almost every math course available except for Calculus (dual enrolled course). Now I refuse to give up on students in Math because they did not give up on me.

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After the birth of my boys (they were 16 months apart), my wife at the time decided that she didn't want the family life we offered. So she left. So, I was a single father of 2, with no earthly idea what it took to be a daddy. But, just like with most things, I learned the things I was supposed to. Trial and Error, finding out what worked and what didn't, helped me turn a bad situation into a rewarding one. I refused to give up, often seeking help from others who happened to find themselves in this situation. I became an active parent, seeking the stimuli and experiences that my boys would learn from, teaching from example, and then eventually expecting them to do the same.

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Throughout my schooling there was always a big emphasis on mathematics.  I was above the average but it was because my father pushed me so hard outside of school to study and do practice workbooks to get ahead.  I was working on concepts that I would struggle for days on because they were years ahead of where I was currently at, but he never allowed me to even think about quitting.  That same mindset followed me to high school and college where I felt that I was expected to take the hardest classes I could, because the challenge itself was vital to growth and development. The influence and dedication he had embodies the core tenets, and I see myself acting the same way and wanting to be that same influence for my scholars.

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In  elementary and junior high school , I was always considered a high achiever. My parents  taught me how to test. So even if I didn't know the correct answer ,I knew how to choose the correct answer. I always scored in the 99th percentile on standardized test. I never really had to study, I was content with the B's I earned. I figured why study when I can make a B without studying.  When I got to The High School (Central!!!!) everything changed. I was a sophomore enrolled in Pre-AP English and Honors Algebra II.  I was so used to getting by that I never really put effort into my work. I realized then that getting by wasn't going to work. I tried my best to switch my classes but my counselor wasn't going for it. She called my parents and suggested her Saturday study courses. I was livid then , but I am thankful now. It taught me to not take short cuts and give 100% in everything that I do. I definitely try to instill this in my scholars.

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In school, I never really struggled with mathematics. It was always my favoruite class each year, and I always loved my math teachers. I loved their consistency with the students and I knew they had high expectations for students and they would not change them no matter the outcome on an assessment.  Their rigor with equal intensity was very evident. I loved the environment they created so we could feel free to ask questions and help each other quietly at times. There was not much of a push of a culture of error. We made mistakes and it was our own responsibility to learn from them. The teacher did not do anything to help us get better, so it made me accountable for my own learning. This definitely help create a high level of perseverance--I was going to work until I understood each concept.  We had very little discussions in high school so I did lake constructing viable arguments, but I definitely had many college-level math courses where this was required.  In short, I feel I was successful in math only due to perservance, rigor with intensity, and a culture of error, and if the other aspects were incorporated more, I could have had even more appreciation and development in my mathematics skills.  However, I do feel that I was well prepared for college.

Having a successful academic background, it can be difficult for me to understand some of the struggles students may face. I do feel it is important to have a love of math present in my teaching and to encourage students to keep working diligently, but it is important to not such too high expectations that are unrealistic or unattainable that students just want to give up completely. Push students in small, manageable steps. Encourage students to work together in class and out-of-class. That was the only way I survive some of my upper-level college and grad math classes is by collaboration. At some point, students need to realise they are better working with others than by themselves. I also feel it is a good practice for students to ask why. Students should know why they are doing each step, why did they miss a problem, why did they not perform well on an assessment. Students should learn from their mistakes.

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In high school, I was always considered being one of the smart kids. Therefore, I never learned how to persevere through difficult problems because they were never difficult to me and making mistakes were never an option for me. So when I got to college, I expected things to be a breeze because they were in high school. "I graduated Valedictorian" was all you would ever here me saying because surely if I graduated Valedictorian then college would be a breeze right? WRONG When I got to my higher (and harder) level courses, I didn't know what to do because I never had to ask for help or struggle with different concepts. The focus then became on getting the correct answers and not understanding the concept. The core tenets are important to me because they prepare scholars for post secondary life. Scholars will know that whatever happens it is okay to make mistakes, the important thing is to push and persevere through them. Scholars will know how to advocate for themselves and how to have those important conversations. Lastly, scholars have the opportunity to reach goals they never thought would be possible because they are being pushed passed meritocracy! Thanks for coming to my TED Talk! :)

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How does your personal story connect to the  GCS Math Core Tenets ?

What implications does this have for your instruction?