Skip to main content

Math Memoir The Series Part 3

 I am loving getting to read everyone's stories... keep them coming.

Submitted by Marshall Kaatz 


When I was little, my parents had me do extra math at home after school. I never thought anything of it. In 6th grade, my teacher had me do the final project for math and the beginning of the year as an example for my classmates. I didn’t think anything of it. In 7th grade, the grade 8 class would ask me for help with their math at recess, knowing fully well that I hadn’t learned the material yet, and I helped them. I didn’t think anything of it. In 9th grade, I placed nationally in a math contest; I was at a new school, and my classmates seemed almost mad for outperforming their previous champion. I didn’t think anything of it. In 10th grade I placed nationally again in the contest, earning myself an invite to a math camp at the local university. I didn’t think anything of it. In 11th grade, I placed nationally for the third time, earning an invite to an exclusive math camp halfway across the country at one of the top universities. 


I didn’t think anything of it. In 12th grade, I placed nationally in two contests, earning scholarships and awards, setting records at my high school. I applied to business school at my local university. In my first year, I wrote 2 math contests. The first was local, and I came first out of all undergraduates who wrote it. The second was the Putnam, again placing first out of all undergraduates who wrote it at my school. I didn’t think anything of it. But then I stopped having math in my life, and I started missing it. I never realized the impact it had made on me. I got a job teaching math to kids of all ages, from counting to calculus. I started tutoring high school and university students. Most importantly, I transferred from business school to the department of mathematics. Today I’m a year away from finishing my undergrad, but I plan on taking my education well beyond that. 

Math has always played a big role in my life, but I didn’t realize until recently just what it truly means to me. Math is what makes the world make sense. Math is the reason I do or think anything I do or think. Math is truly the underlying structure of my life. I’m just glad to finally return the love it has shown me all these years, and I hope to eventually contribute enough of myself back into the world of math to truly provide the thankfulness I feel for math raising me through my childhood.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How are the best of the best recognized in Mathematics?

Mathematicians are often touted as the smartest people on the planet but then you hear about the best and brightest winning the Nobel Prize in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Medicine, Economics... Peace... but not MATHEMATICS. I haven't really thought too much about it until I started to research for this post. I knew Mathematicians had their own awards and just left it at that. Well, let's take a look at what was up with Alfred Nobel and then talk about the biggest math prizes. Source: Wikipedia Alfred Nobel Born Alfred Bernhard Nobel 21 October 1833 Stockholm , Sweden Died 10 December 1896 (aged 63) Sanremo , Italy Nobel was a Swedish chemist and inventor. He holds 355 patents with dynamite being the most well known. After being criticized for making a fortune off of the production of armaments, he decided to leave his fortune to the Nobel Prize Institute to change his legacy. His last will and testament set aside monies to establish the Nobel Prizes. These prizes were to b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Math Memoir The Series: Part 5

 I know it has been a minute but whoa has time flown by... here is the latest Math Memoir from someone who isn't on anyone's radar as a "math person" but helps us to see that we are all math persons since we do math even when we don't realize it and sometimes when we do and we are working on something fun. This is from Emily Haxton, Junior AP English Language & Composition and  Sophomore Honors English, at Lewis & Clark High School in Spokane, Washington, USA. I think it’s safe to say that most people assume English teachers are not the best math students.  I’ve actually heard my colleagues say as much, so it’s no wonder the stereotype exists.  But I am an English teacher who embraces math in my classroom.  It can be extremely helpful for some of my concrete-sequential learners to think about language structures and arguments as formulas, so I’m often coming up with math analogies to help solidify their understanding.  Since I’m comfortable with ma...
Post a Comment
Read more

Math Memoir - The Series

I will be starting a series of Math Memoirs from people who have submitted them to me via Social Media, email, and students, former and current, who have given me permission. I have students write their math memoir in my classes to start school so I can get a feel for a student's math identity. Write about your math experience. Start with your first memory learning math (my mom used to play card games like Crazy 8's, Memory, and Rummy with my brother and I) and continue up through today. How did your experiences with math mold how you feel about math and your math abilities to this day?  Here is my math memoir. Stay tuned for others from around the world!
Post a Comment
Read more