A Big Thank You to many of my Former Teachers!
I want to thank some of my own mathematics teachers (and one special English teacher) I've had over the years. In elementary school, I was not inspired by the mathematics curriculum nor the way arithmetic was taught (although I did like flash cards). I went to junior high and high school in Vista, California. It was when I finally got into junior high school that I began to enjoy mathematics. I was placed in the B math class in seventh grade. Mr. Malcolm Blakeslee was my 7th grade instructor, and I was happy to start earning A's. In eighth grade, I had to practically beg the administration to move me from the A- class into the A math class. I wanted to be in with the "smarter" kids. Mrs. Marie McElliott was a tough, demanding, dedicated teacher. There was no fooling around, and I was lucky to earn a B. In ninth grade, I was placed in Algebra I, and that is when math really got fun. I loved Algebra, and Mr. Ted Norris was not only nice, young and good-looking, but let us do challenging extra credit problems if we finished our tests early. Although he wasn't a mathematics teacher, Mr. George Calhoun was a truly inspiring teacher, and I learned most of what I know about English and the humanities from him. He was my ninth grade English teacher. I want to acknowledge and thank him because he was a real pioneer. In my sophomore year, I took Plane/Solid Geometry with Mr. John (Pat) Murphy. He was a forward-looking teacher who let us sit where we wanted, and preferred that we call him Pat. That was hard for me to get used to, but I liked it. The class was hard, but I made it through and ended up being a T.A. for him as a senior. In eleventh grade, I took Algebra II/Trig with Mrs. Polly Willard. She was a great teacher. I really liked the class, she had perfect control, and always showed respect for her students. She was matter-of-fact about everything, and I liked her style even though she was strict. Mrs. Eunice Fraley taught Math Analysis/Analytical Geometry, and Physics my senior year. There were twenty-one of us for both classes (the first two periods each day) and we had a fantastic year. We appreciated her and she enjoyed our class — we actually took a class picture and she hosted a party at her house for us. I was an instructional aide for her my first semester of college. By the end of high school, I knew I wanted to be a mathematics teacher, and I credit that decision to having good math teachers in junior and senior high school.
As a mathematics major at U.C. Santa Barbara, I had the good fortune of taking geometry from a fantastic professor, Mr. Paul Kelly. I spent many hours in his office, where he gave me a lot of encouragement and helped me really understand how to do proofs. I took everything I could from him. After receiving my B.A. in Mathematics at U.C.S.B., I entered the secondary teaching credential program there and worked under Dr. Vern Cotter. He pretty much left me alone to do my own thing in the classroom, which was wonderful. I was confident, competent and energetic, and happy to be spending time doing what I had always wanted to do since fourth grade — be a teacher. It was during my tenure as a student teacher that I began rewriting a textbook I was using for the Algebra II class I was teaching. Dr. Cotter encouraged me to write my own independent materials in the future. After earning my teaching credential to teach mathematics at the secondary level, I taught at my Alma Mater, Vista High School, for two years, alongside some of my 9th-12th grade teachers. I then went to graduate school at U.C. San Diego, where I was fortunate enough to get to know the professor I credit for getting me through grad school, Gill Williamson. Because of him, I was introduced to the world of Combinatorics. It was in this class that I excelled, and learned what a great experience it is to put in a lot of effort, then succeed, and be at the top of the class. I saved the paper where he did the curve for the final grades — I was practically off the charts. What a great sense of accomplishment I felt. He was supportive throughout my two years at U.C.S.D., and he spent many hours counseling and encouraging me. I took every class and seminar I could from him. I also taught a section for his undergraduate combinatorics class. At the graduation ceremony, he handed me my diploma. I owe him a lot!
I want to thank and acknowledge all of these teachers, who helped me along in my journey to becoming a mathematics teacher. My teaching has been shaped by their influences. I appreciate them and hope they know they made a difference. That, I believe, is what teaching is all about.