Proud Math Nerd

I love teachers. That might sound a little self-serving, but I do. I get to witness amazing things every single day – not just at school, but during this quarantine, too, and I'm so glad people are starting to recognize how hard it is to be a teacher. Unless you are in the trenches, you just have no idea the toll it takes mentally, physically, and emotionally to give your all under the intense scrutiny of parents, administrators, district leaders, and, if I'm being honest, colleagues. No matter how much you do, it's never enough. You are judged as being too strict or too lenient. Your assignments are judged as too easy or too hard. Your expectations are judged as too high or not high enough. It is a never ending battle to please people. NEVER.ENDING. This is what you don't learn in college. No matter how hard you work, how many hours you put in, how many professional development sessions you attend, how many professional books you read…it will never be enough for some people. There will always be someone judging you and at the ready to point out your perceived shortcomings.

I try to remember this when
dealing with difficult people!

But here's the thing: teachers change lives.

When I was figuring out what to write about for Thankful Thursday, teachers certainly came to mind. The teachers I work with are incredible. In my role as a reading specialist, I now have the opportunity to witness learning happening in classrooms throughout the building. All I can say is that I absolutely love my fellow teachers and I'm in awe of all they do each and every day. Their young students may not yet realize how lucky they are to have these educators guiding them, but one day they will.

I've had some amazing teachers myself over my many years of schooling. I still exchange Christmas cards with two of my music/band teachers from high school every year. I fondly remember the teachers who made things fun and I also remember the ones who pushed me to do more, write more, think more. I've had some outstanding professors during my doctoral program, including my portfolio committee chairperson and my dissertation committee chairperson, who have shaped my thinking about teaching and learning in more ways than they will ever know.

But if I had to choose THE teacher who changed my life, there's only one answer.

When I was taking my teacher licensure courses, I knew I would have to take an elementary math methods.

Well, let me tell you something. I absolutely HATED math.

This was me...

I was very "successful" in math until about halfway through high school. Which means I could memorize an algorithm and carry it out perfectly. I was convinced I was good at math and that I loved math. Then I hit a wall. Math stopped being about steps to follow and became something to make sense of, and I was lost. All those years of "success" were anything but, because I hadn't really LEARNED anything. I had very little conceptual understanding when the understanding became more important than the procedure, I struggled. I could not wait to finish the required math classes for high school graduation and never think about math again. I ended up selecting a major in college that didn't require math (sociology), and planned on teaching primary grades to avoid any "hard" math.

So back to the teacher licensure courses. I dreaded that elementary math methods class something awful and I put it off as long as I possibly could.

I was terrified when I started that class. I was sure I would fail. And I was convinced that as a result, I wouldn't get to be a teacher.

Given that I actually am a teacher and also finishing my Ph.D. in Mathematics Education Leadership, you already know that's not how the story ends.

I ended up loving the class. It was an amazing experience! For the first time in my life, I actually UNDERSTOOD math. I was beyond excited to go to every class, read every article and book chapter, complete every assignment. And I realized that I was, indeed, "good" at math, after so many years of being intimidated and feeling inadequate.

I owe EVERYTHING to that professor. I am the teacher I am because of him. Because he opened up an entire world to me and helped me to recognize and appreciate the beauty and power and magic of math.

He changed the trajectory of my life.

It's a simple as that. He absolutely changed my life.

I am forever grateful!

one of my favorite bracelets ever
from one of my favorite families ever

Happy Tails to you!