Math Autobiography



Name:_____________

Class:_____________

Date:_____________

Math Autobiography

Final Draft Due Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Purpose of the Assignment: As your teacher, I want to get to know you as a person and as a student of mathematics. This will also help me better address your individual educational needs

Content: On the reverse side of the page I’ve listed some questions to help guide and organize your thoughts. You MUST answer all of the questions in each section, but may also include additional information. You may write the autobiography in essay (paragraph) format or interview (question and answer) format. Regardless, your final draft must be in complete sentences. The key to writing an honest math biography is to give lots of detail. See the example below:

Not enough detail: I hated math in third grade, but it got better in fifth grade.

Detailed: I hated math in third grade because I had trouble using borrowing for subtraction. I was really slow at doing problems, and I was always the last one to finish the timed tests. It was really embarrassing. …

Assignment Requirements

Format:

1.) Word Processed 2.) 1 inch margin

3.) Double-spaced 4.) 12 point font

Length: This assignment must be a minimum of 1 page and a maximum length of 3 pages.

Your paper needs to have the following information in the upper right corner:

Math Autobiography

Your name

Class Color

Grading: This paper will not be graded for writing style and composition in the same way that you would be graded in language arts, but I do expect proper spelling and grammatical usage. I will be using the following rubric. The assignment is worth 35 points.

|Criteria |Points |

|Content: | |

|Each question is answered |15 (1/question) |

|Each answer provides sufficient detail |15 (1/question) |

|Format | |

|Math Autobiography, Name, Class Color (upper right corner) |1 |

|Word Processed, Double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12 pt type |2 |

|Length (1-3 pages) |2 |

The following questions must be answered to provide an outline for your final draft.

This part of the assignment will count as a homework assignment and is due on:_____________

Section 1: Introduction

• What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Why?

• Have you always attended school in Regional District 13? If not, where else did you attend school?

• What is/are your favorite subject(s) in school? Why?

• What activities/hobbies do you participate in outside of school?

Section 2: Experience with Math

• How do you feel about math?

• Why do you think you feel this way?

• In what ways have you used math outside of school?

• What has a math teacher done in the past that has really helped you in math class?

Section 3: Learning Styles and Habits (specifically for math)

• Do you learn best from reading, listening or doing?

• Do you prefer to work alone or in groups?

• What do you do when you get “stuck”?

• Describe some of your study habits. For example: Do you re-write notes? Do you complete example problems? Are you organized? Do you procrastinate? Do you read the text?

Section 4: The Present and Future

• What goals do you have for math class this year?

• How will you attempt to achieve these goals

• What can teachers or peers do to help you accomplish these goals?

Math Autobiography

Mrs. Driesch

Math Teacher Blue Team

Three adjectives that I would use to describe myself are: hardworking, inquisitive, and friendly. However, I can behave in a shy manner when I meet people for the first time. I began my education at Norfeldt Elementary School in West Hartford, CT. For middle school, I also attended public school at King Philip Middle School. In ninth grade I went to a private school called Northwest Catholic. It is the same high school that my father went to and I even had some of the same teachers. I also followed my father’s footsteps for college; like him, I attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I was a math major. I finished (for now) my career as a student last fall when I received my M.S. Education from the University of New Haven. My favorite activities include: skiing, yoga, reading, and spending time at the beach (especially with my family).

My grandfather was a civil engineer who worked on designing different parts for airplanes. He always pushed me to excel in mathematics. From the moment that he taught me long division in Kindergarten, I loved math and knew that it was a subject that came easy for me. However, when I was in college, I took a class that challenged me so much I felt it was impossible, so I do also know what it feels like to struggle in math. Recently, I used math outside of school when I calculated the price of several clothing items that were on sale at a store. In the past, the most helpful gestures that a math teacher made were being patient when I was struggling, and also re-teaching new topics in as many ways as I needed to achieve mastery.

Q: Do you learn best from reading, listening or doing?

A: I enjoy reading new information. However, if I really want to commit something to memory, I need to do. Depending on the topic, this might mean writing out examples, making an outline, taking notes, or creating flashcards.

Q: Do you prefer to work alone or in groups?

A: Usually I prefer to work in groups because I benefit from hearing the ideas and suggestions of my peers and talking through my own ideas. However, sometimes it is helpful for me to sit down and work through a problem quietly on my own.

Q: What do you do when you get “stuck”?

A: When I get stuck, I try to step away for a minute first. If I am able to move on to another problem then I will go back to the challenging problem later. I also rely on my friends for help. Finally, I may look up a topic/concept on the internet to try to find some information to get me started.

Q: Describe some of your study habits.

A: My primary study habit is completing many example problems. I am extremely organized because I know that it is the only way that I can be successful. For example, you will probably see all types of lists around my classroom as the year progresses. I always try to read textbooks, but it only benefits me it I am able to make some notes or copy down main ideas.

Q: What goals do you have for math class this year? How will you attempt to achieve these goals?

A: My most important goal for this school year is to reach out to each of my students and try to help everyone learn in a way that is most beneficial to him/her as an individual. I am beginning to attempt this goal through this assignment and I will continue to learn more about each of you as the year progresses. I also will try many different strategies in the classroom.

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