Thanks for joining me! I am just a math teacher writing about my experiences in education. In my seven years as educator I have yet to go through an entire year without hearing from a parent, “I am not good at math, so I cannot help my child.”

It has become socially acceptable for people to be “bad at math”. This is a mindset that must be changed. An experience this past weekend got me thinking about math literacy.  I was at the baseball fields watching my son when another parent asked me how to spell something. Before I could answer she immediately said, “Oh wait you are a math teacher; of course you won’t know how to spell it!” She laughed and turned around to ask someone else.

Although I knew it was a lighthearted jab, I was bothered by this interaction. There is this stigma surrounding math. If you get math, you are a different breed. Math isn’t something that everyone can learn. This simply is not true.

I decided it was time for me get out of my comfort zone and to start my own blog. Will my writing be as good as my husband’s who has a creative writing major? I would certainly hope not. After all, he spent thousands of dollars and five years of his life learning how to write beautifully. I would also not expect him to be able to write out the proof for why you cannot divide by zero. Every person has their strengths and weaknesses, but we always need to try and grow.

It is not socially acceptable to be illiterate in language, therefore it should not be socially acceptable to math illiterate. As an educator, I should be a role model for my students. I ask my students every year to step up and become a leader. I ask my students to grow in areas they are the weakest. I should expect the same of myself.

So here I am. Growing as a leader by sharing my experiences in the classroom with you. I will also be sharing what I have learned in books I am reading, and articles that I discuss with my Personal Learning Communities. I am always looking for the next great book to read, technology to use in my class, and learning the best strategies to use to reach all of my wonderful students.

ENJOY!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton