Chapter 1: Early Influences in Math

During my elementary school years, mathematics was one of my favorite subjects. My fifth-grade instructor, Mr. Mattis, recognized my enthusiasm and provided me with some upper-grade textbooks. My mother, an avid book purchaser, also acquired several older math books, which I eagerly explored. I became particularly fascinated with binary math, learning to manipulate numbers using only ones and zeros and mastering the conversion between binary and base ten. My interest was piqued, and I was always eager for more knowledge. However, this was a time before computers became commonplace, and I attended a small school where having a grade school was already a privilege. My class consisted of about 24 students, and I can still recall nearly all their names even after nearly 40 years.

As I progressed to sixth grade with Mrs. Vacketta, I was informed that I had to work from the same textbook as my peers. Having already comprehended the material from the eighth-grade book the previous year, I quickly lost interest in math classes. For the next four years, I merely did the minimum required to pass. My passion for math reignited when I reached Geometry, where I found solving proofs immensely enjoyable, missing only a few questions throughout the year. However, upon entering Algebra II, I realized that I lacked certain foundational concepts that I had previously overlooked in my freshman year.

Section 1.1: Challenges in a Limited Curriculum

My school had a limited math curriculum, with only one teacher and one section for each class in high school. Today, the school employs three math teachers, but it still offers few advanced math courses.

Chapter 2: The Impact of Foundation on Higher Education

By the time I reached college, my insufficient foundation in mathematics became increasingly apparent, affecting my performance in math courses. The university I attended had just begun offering a degree in computational mathematics, incorporating subjects from the Calculus series to programming languages like Fortran and Assembler. I initially enrolled in a psychology degree but later added computational mathematics as a second major. While studying, I secured a programming job at the university, which covered my tuition fees.

Despite my efforts, the gaps in my mathematical foundation continued to hinder my progress. It took me three attempts to pass Calculus I, and I eventually struggled with Calculus II, despite completing all other requirements outside the calculus series. I believe that the root of my challenges lay in the foundational knowledge I lacked. At that time, I was working full-time while attending a five-hour class every day at noon, leaving little room for study. My husband, a physics professor, eventually urged me to reconsider my commitments, recalling my struggles with time management.

The first video, The Future of Math: Where Is Math Education Now and Where Should It Be?, discusses the current state of math education and future improvements.

Later, I pursued a Master’s in Business Administration, taking more statistics courses, which I also found enjoyable. One memorable class was How to Lie with Statistics, which remains a favorite. Eventually, I began substitute teaching and even spent a year covering an algebra class at my former high school.