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Mathematics passed | Mathematical past.

The thing that inspired me most to learn and develop my mathematical concepts were the high school standards set out by the NCEA examinations. The concrete and well defined lines of where concepts sit, as well as the type of questions that were offered allowed me to have a strong grasp on where I needed to divert my attention. I guess you could say that clear learning objectives/outcomes are a good source of motivation for my learning.

What frustrated me were when these lines began to blur. When concepts became inter-related, or when classes didn't have clearly set objectives. I felt that my understanding of mathematics had been blown apart and I couldn't find a way to comprehend and stay on top of my studies. This was most apparent during my university years studying as a math major, particularly in the field of applied mathematics.

A math "teacher" that inspires me is Salman Khan, who is the creator of Khan Academy. His YouTube videos were clear in articulation as well as visual presentation. I used Khan Academy as a tool many times to brush on up concepts that I didn't have a good foundation in, and therefore was able to extend my understanding in certain areas of Mathematics.

A math teacher who I will try my best not to emulate - and I'm quite sure that I won't - is a high school mathematics teacher who, herself, did not have a strong grasp on the concepts that she was teaching. This only later became apparent when I was revising for exams and realizing that some of the techniques I was using to solve problems were actually incorrect. When I had originally asked the teacher about the question, she passed off information that was wrong, as correct, and I began to apply that technique in my problem-solving, only for me to later discover, that I had been doing it wrong. What bothered me most was not that she didn't know the material well, but that she was unable to admit that she was unclear on the subject. A much better solution in that scenario would have been for her to say "You know what, I'm not entirely sure, let me check with a colleague to make sure I give you the correct answer."

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