What inspired you to want to become a maths teacher?
Teaching is a career that was never in my mind as a teenager but was drawn towards during university. The pandemic allowed me to appreciate first-hand the amount of work teachers do and how essential they are for paving the future generation. I saw how the schools worked endlessly to provide an education even during a lockdown which inspired me to be part of this community.
I fondly recall my secondary school experience and see many of my previous teachers as an inspiration whose footsteps I would like to follow. Observing all the different styles and how every teacher made their lessons unique but engaging has led me to this career choice. The teachers weren’t there just to help us get A’s and A* but to teach us essential life skills like teamwork and communication to make a difference in society. Then during the pandemic, I was able to do some tutoring, and I enjoyed seeing the students have those lightbulb moments and feel accomplished.
I knew by my final year of university that I wanted to do teacher training. As I studied Biomedical Engineering, I realised my passion for mathematics, and I knew that I wanted to impact this field. Mathematics is often seen as a very regimented subject that is based on only processes and formulas. But this is not the case, mathematics is the foundation whereby creativity can blossom. I based my dissertation on the evolution of implants for effective bone healing. I was able to see how the complex designs of orthopaedic implants are directly influenced by our understanding of forces and calculating these. I realised how mathematics is integrated into many areas of life and is an essential part of the growth of our society. I want to show these connections to students and show them how mathematics can be used to build and create amazing things.
Now that I have begun my teacher training, I am fascinated by all the amazing teaching strategies and how much research is constantly being conducted because of the importance of education. There is a big emphasis in trying not just to teach mathematics as a recall subject but understand why we do what we do and how they work. By implementing the research into our teaching, we can move forward with the effectiveness of education.
In conclusion, many people have paved the way and inspired me to become a mathematics teacher, and I look forward to inspiring many more amazing teachers in the future.
By Kelly Elizabeth Parra Venegas
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