Our Math Learning Experiences by Katie Lyons https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx What was your experience related to math instruction in school? How has that impacted /influenced your perspective on math instruction and /or how you support leaders /teachers presently? en-us 2021-02-22 15:06:53 UTC 2021-02-23 20:43:40 UTC hello@padlet.com I developed a positive math identity early because a teacher saw potential in me and supported and pushed me to lean-in and develop an interest and experience the power and privilege that comes with being a knower and doer of math. This is drives my commitment to teaching. Every single learner deserves the same guidance and support. https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233655833 2021-02-23 20:37:24 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233655833 I am a born again math person. I came to a deep love of mathematics by teaching it. In my early years, math was a huge stress, because I got in trouble for asking why, or for coming up with answers the "wrong way" or that were too complicated. In my mom's defense, she tried to encourage me to keep thinking in these creative ways, but her own math phobias often got in the way of the full advocacy I experienced in other areas of life. aaugustus2 https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660134 2021-02-23 20:38:34 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660134 I always loved math as a child but in junior high after a standardized test (which I hated taking), I was tracked into the lower math group. I was in the high group for ELA but low for math and those of us that were in this situation were called "floaters" by our teachers. It was horrible and I'll never forget that feeling of "floating" down to a "low" group. The math transitioned in grade school was from fun, conceptual learning but in junior high- rote, basic, procedural and I was uninterested, bored, etc. I hold on to this with my coaching at schools and how I push to elevate the experiences we create for students and the "labels" we place on students. klyons22 https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660325 2021-02-23 20:38:38 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660325 https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660418 My late grandfather was a middle school math teacher and he was the teacher that made math fun for me throughout my K-college years.  I had two great math teachers throughout school that made a lasting impact on me—those two teachers made me believe I was invincible and that math was important (all around us).

]]> 2021-02-23 20:38:39 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660418 https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660810 I loved math until I had a teacher that rushed me through the process and would not support me when I was stuck. I'm not sure if it is because she thought I could do it on my own or what but it made me lose my confidence in math and while I still persisted as a decent math student I was never confident. ]]> 2021-02-23 20:38:46 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233660810 https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233661133 I didn't pass the 7th grade "test" in order to take algebra I in grade 8. I always then felt behind and it wasn't until college that a professor broke down concepts for me in a new way that made math so much easier to understand.

]]> 2021-02-23 20:38:52 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233661133 https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233661269 I can name a few negative experiences I had in math classrooms, unfortunately.  I was slapped on my hand for counting on my fingers in early elementary, and moved out of an advanced math group because I worked too slowly.. etc etc. Those experiences made me want to do better by own students.

]]> 2021-02-23 20:38:54 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233661269 https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233661302 I leaned into math b/c early on I "got it",  whereas I struggled as a reader.  
I thought I would minor in math in college but got quickly frustrated at the lack of explaining/conceptual understanding and teachers' reluctance to work with students... so I transitioned to Spanish hahaha ]]> 2021-02-23 20:38:55 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233661302 I had a positive perspective and experience until I got to middle school https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233662431 2021-02-23 20:39:11 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233662431 I mostly had great math experiences, but I also sat through a few years of bad math instruction here and there. It still sticks with me that it was so obvious to us as students that the teacher wasn't trying and there wasn't a system in place to address that. https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233667493 2021-02-23 20:40:31 UTC https://padlet.com/klyons22/eejnmt9pjsmmn2yx/wish/1233667493