Final Reflection

Reflecting back on this term, it's hard to extract what I've learned in this class specifically, from what I've learned from the program as a whole. This semester has been a whirlwind, and I feel like a lot of the most significant learning I've done has been a slow process throughout the whole term of reflecting on what it means to be a teacher, how learning happens, and trying to unlearn my own bias about who I am as a learner, to be more understanding of the different ways different students learn, and how I can be the best teacher I can for every single student.

Looking back through my blog though, I can pinpoint a few articles and conversations we had in this class that I think significantly shaped my learning. One of the first articles we read, Skemp's article about relational vs. instrumental understanding in mathematics, gave me language and insight to describe something I had always seen in mathematics and mathematics education - a lack of connection between how to do mathematics and why to do mathematics. In teaching rules and patterns instead of the deeper underlying concepts, we divorce math from it's beauty and it's purpose. I have been thinking a lot throughout the term about how to avoid falling into this trap in my own class.

Another article that has shaped my learning a lot was the one on Battleground School's. The content of the article was interesting, but I think what struck me the most about it was how it elucidated the ebb and flow of perspectives on teaching mathematics, and even education as a whole. I think as I am entering this profession, it's important to have some understanding of how things swing forwards and backwards in regards to curriculum, pedagogy, and even the role of the school, and the education system. It seems we are currently swinging forwards, with the new curriculum and the move away from percentage grades, and I am very interested to see how this plays out.

While many of the articles we read were interesting and insightful, I think what shaped my learning the most has been the conversations, both formal and informal, that I've had in and out of class with my peers. It's a privilege to be in a space with so many people with whom I share the passions of mathematics and education. It's been a joy to hear about different people's perspectives on their own experiences with mathematics, and their philosophies on teaching going forwards. I'm excited to continue on this journey of learning in the new year.