Yeah, I do Math

Yeah,I do Math

and other "funny" math " puns "

Whatsthedealwith numbers?

The question I've had throughout most of my life as a student who didn't really understood math until I had one (1) math teacher that explained and really demystified math as way of thinking. I don't mean to be pretentious when I say that, as I know that's probably the most stuck up thing someone can say about math, but I really do think of math as a reference to a way of thinking and rationalizing. Math is a rational for a lot of observations that occur in life, including the entire field of logic and reasoning is based on set theory which is a pretty big aspect of mathematics. With math being a framework for a multitude of subjects and disciplines, it would be silly to think just about whether or not you're "good" at "math." Such an elementary view of mathematics, or criteria of a person's sense of mathematics ability being whether or not they're able to perform feats of pure math in a vacuum is kind of embarrassing Now that, I admit, is a little snobby, but that's the way it should be! Math ability should not be measured by how well someone can use the distributive property or integrate some meaningless function, but rather, their ability to learn and ability to apply what they learned in the way they would like to, rather than just a vacuum that math is now being done in the status quo. Now, I recognize that what I said was a little contradictory, since it's popular thinking that the application of math concepts constitutes as one ' s ability to do math, however I disagree. As I said previously, math is primarily done in space, where the meanings of the numbers are arbitrary and nonexistent. Since math is being taught like this, it's not unreasonable to see students struggling to apply the concepts if the way the concepts are taught is disjoint to what our goals for the students are. This is why my math identity focuses on my ability to learn math, which I'm very good at, if I may say. Rather than the traditional idea that one ' s math identity is typically an indicator of one ' s perceived math ability, my math identity surrounds how well I learn the concept at hand. With this framework, I focused on bettering myself and saying that each mistake is part of the process of getting better and learning This is a much more sustainable identity to have as every outcome, in terms of good or bad achievement, is a good event to occur in my eyes as I am always learning.

- Be gay!

My queer identity is a wild one as I'm still trying to find my place in it as a young adult but I've always felt safe in spaces where the population is primarily, and obviously, queer. This queer identity has helped me forge friendships with like-minded individuals who would like to exist without any push back from anybody. Using some of the principles of which I view the queer community to have, I hope to exude to everyone in my day to day life. The idea of acceptance without a second thought, the idea of uplifting marginalized communities and populations, the idea that there should be a space for everyone to be themselves. This is what I wish to bring out as a teacher in my classroom and my dip in queer culture has taught me that and how to do it.

Be aware of who the person is and respect who they are

Don't be afraid of being wrong, and learn from those mistakes when errors occur Push for the best in any action or event

Although seemingly simple, I've found that some of these were very difficult to learn as I had to unlearn numerous lessons that the people around me taught that did not align with those steps and values.

Additionally, it's just so fun! The amount of ridiculous inside jokes and esoteric culture signals to identify others of the same group is simply super neat to be a part of. I recognize this section is a bit non-unique as it's only natural that if someone is in a group and has been in the culture for a while, it will only be a matter of time where the members will start to notice a trend with each other and common traits among them. Nevertheless, it just feels nice to be a part of something that makes me feel safe.

MyMathEducation

"Mathisfun!" -Algebra2Teacher

Enjoymentof Mathduring schooling

Math has always been a good subject in terms of academic achievement for me. It wasn't until I had my high school calculus teacher where learning and doing and teaching math became a passion. It was at Rancho Highschool, where the student population was extremely diverse in terms of ethnicity, race, gender identity, ability status, sexual orientation, linguistic, religious, and socioeconomic background, probably due in part of its magnet school status. I remember seeing a variety of student cultures during the little culture fair the school held during the middle of the semester which showcased their foods and cultural artifacts. This was also reflected in the math courses I took. There was a variety of races and backgrounds that the students came from that were there to learn math So with this experience, I didn't really feel the microaggressions or the difference in race that's traditionally seen in student achievement surveys. Thought despite the student population being stellar, the teachers were a mixed bag of effectiveness to learn math from. In middle school up to algebra 2, I was counting on YouTube videos and free library tutors to help me pass the math classes I was in. With this stern reliance on these resources, I felt myself merely tolerating math, rather than enjoy the subject. I felt like

doing math just for the grade and without trying to really conceptually understand the underlying principles behind each operation. I was a plugging and chugging machine until I was in my high school calculus teacher's classroom where she took the time to facilitate mathematical discourse and made us, the students, teach the class how to do problems to better our understanding. It was this classroom environment of constant discussion and frequent high level mathematical discourse when I wanted to emulate this teaching style and demystify the often seen as scary subject of math. As all math really is, is a set of rules that

you can employ when the the math problem calls for it. Math is just a really big puzzle solving field of study. And in this classroom that I was in, the teacher made the puzzle solving aspect accessible to me, someone who didn't really know what they were doing in math until they looked it up online. With this learning experience, my teaching of math is very much the same as it was back in high school where the teacher pushed for a "mistakes ok" environment I frequently get complimented at how patient and easy going I am when I interact with students by my mentor teachers, and how I allow the students to struggle a bit before giving them any semblance of a hint since I know they can get it. Honestly, it gets a bit hard to believe that it's praiseworthy as a teacher, but I'm reflecting here so, might as well bring it up.

Before taking a math class, all the way in kindergarten, I had a feeling that I was going to be a teacher of some sort. A premonition, if you will, that it would have to do something with mathematics, despite not knowing how to count to 100 yet. It was then, in that calculus class, that the profession felt real to me, and that I had to go into education. So here I am, secondary education major with a math concentration and math minor, trying to become a math teacher.

Themythof "smartness"

Throughout my school career, the idea of smartness was a very clear dividing line between communities, that is, until I reached high school where the student body was too big to really care about that kind of petty stuff. I used to hold smartness as a trophy that only me and a select few others can have, until I realized how embarrassing that was and the a person's character was not defined by their grades. And at a school like Rancho, the only thing people really cared about were their own stuff. And with the amount of extracurricular activities that students could attend, it was an easy thing to mingle amongst those who typically wouldn't be in your class due to numerous reasons.

So, with my experience being a stuck-up, snotty little smart kid who didn't care for others who weren't on the same level academically as me, I can easily redirect the egos of those students and show them a better way of spending that energy by having them help others and develop some compassion. Of course, their attitudes towards others will be addressed, and I'll make it clear that it won't be tolerated, but I do believe it would be beneficial for all students to help each other in class.

On the flip side, those students who have a more, negative mathematics identity will get confidence boosts if I have them explain correctly difficult math problems and methods in front of the class, which I find helpful for friends who weren't so great at math.

Thinking about student math identities obviously helps with finding the best ways to teach them.

an Integral Part of the Zine

Power and Status

The idea that math is something that I, a male, should be good at, was instilled into me by my family my whole life (also because I'm Asian but it's essentially an umbrella type thing, anyways) and so I was rushed to be do the highest level of math in all grades I was in. It wasn't too difficult as I was quick to pick up patterns and what to do in certain situations, but I wasn't really learning math for me. It wasn't until I got to my calculus teacher and yda ydaydaydaydyasys you heard this too many times and anyways, I guess I have to acknowledge that if it weren't for the power and status of math that my parents and family believed in so fervently, I wouldn't be here.

Most Excited to Learn About

Honestly? I can't wait to learn about complex learning instruction and how to better foster mathematical discourse in the classroom as I experienced that as a student and I would LOVE to try that out in the classroom as a teacher and get these students to enjoy math as much as I. It's a long journey, but I think I'll get there eventually as all it is is practice, practice, practice.