Overview and Rationale
Whether we like it or not, good or bad, we all have a history with mathematics. You will reflect on your history with mathematics and your experiences in math classes by writing a mathography. A mathography is similar to an autobiography except it is focused on your personal history with mathematics. This is an opportunity for you to reflect on your personal history and consider how that history informs who you are becoming as a mathematics teacher. Understanding how your experiences with mathematics have shaped you mathematics identity will help you to think more intentionally about the types of experiences you want to create for students as you support every student to develop a positive relationship with mathematics.
Part 1. Describe the issues and factors that influenced your mathematics learning.
Use the focus questions below to help you write your story. Feel free to describe other things that influenced your interest and experience in learning math.
FOCUS QUESTIONS:
- What was learning mathematics like for you in school? For example, was math easy, or was it hard? Did you always like it or not like it? Why?
- Were most students in your math classes of the same ethnicity, race, gender, or linguistic or socioeconomic background as you? Be specific in your identification of yourself and others.
- How did you interest in math vary as you went through school? Consider your math experiences as you moved through elementary, middle, high school, and college.
- How was your mathematics learning supported at home and in your community? Did you do any math activities outside of school (for example, in sports, hobbies, or games)? In what ways were you like or different from the other students in your math classes in this respect?
- How has math affected your career choice? Include your selection of your undergraduate major.
Part 2. Conclude your essay with a response to the following prompt.
How do your experiences in learning math shape your views about teaching mathematics to children?
| Exceeds Expectations | Meets Expectations | Approaching Expectations | Does not Meet Expectations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meets expectations & reflection demonstrates an awareness of social contexts shaping math experiences | Responses to focus questions thoughtfully & thoroughly describe experiences with mathematics | Responses may be lacking in detail to thoroughly describe experiences with math or to demonstrate thoughtful reflection on experiences | Responses to focus questions are missing |
| Meets expectations & reflection demonstrates an awareness of social contexts shaping mathematics teaching and learning | Describes, with detail, views about teaching math to children & clearly relates those views to own mathematics learning experiences | Broadly describes views about teaching math to children but connections to own math learning experiences are vague | Does not describe views about teaching math to children OR does not relate those views to own math learning experiences |
Note: There is no page/word limit for this assessment. Because this is a reflective activity, you are welcome to use as much space as needed to address the focus questions and thoughtfully reflect on your experiences with math.
Learning standard: Demonstrate awareness of social contexts of mathematics teaching and learning.
Assignment adapted from Aguirre, J., Mayfield- Ingram, K. & Martin, D. B. (2013). Mathematics learning autobiography. In The impact of identity in K-8 mathematics: Rethinking equity-based practices. Reston, VA: NCTM. Retrieved from http://www.nctm.org/more4u
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