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 math concepts, I’m able to help them bridge the gap between the familiar step-by-step procedures and unfamiliar written abstractions. 

 Outside of the classroom I use math ALL OF THE TIME.  I am a quilter.  Geometric shapes and patterns are always in my head.  I have stacks of fabric in my house, and I’m always looking at a pictures of quilt blocks and breaking them down to figure out how to a) construct them, and b) how much fabric I would need for each component.  Most quilters I know are afraid of math and pay good money to have someone else tell them how to proceed.  Not only have I saved hundreds of dollars on patterns, but I also have more creative freedom to manipulate a design as I wish.  I also get a little bit of a thrill every time my calculations result in a beautiful, finished product. 😊