Making Sense of Mathematics
In my experiences, I have found that many students fail to see mathematics as a sensible subject. I am sure that every math teacher in the nation has been asked questions similar to “When will we ever use this?” A goal of mine as an aspiring educator is to aid in students' understanding of why mathematics is meaningful in each of their lives. Whether they strive to be engineers or accountants who use math every day in an obvious sense, or if they want to be poets or fishermen, I want them to see that doing mathematics will make them better learners and problem solvers, preparing them for any future they may choose. By attending the NCTM Conference, I would enter the classroom better equipped to help students make sense of and see the importance in the mathematics they are learning.