Number and Operations
Journal Prompt #1
A Mathematical Autobiography
According to NCTM Content Standard of Number and Operations, “Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable each and every student to—
• understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems
• understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another
• compute fluently and make reasonable estimates” (NCTM, 2000, p. 32)
• https://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-Positions/Principles-and-Standards/Number-and-Operations/
1. What grade level(s) or specific courses are you teaching? (Ans. Algebra I)
2. At what grade levels have you taught number and operations? How have you been influenced by those teaching experiences? Do you see yourself teaching number and operations in other grade levels in the future? Elaborate on your answers.
3. How comfortable do you feel with number and operations content for elementary and middle school (the actual content, not just teaching elementary and middle school-level classes)? Explain. What specific elementary and middle school number & operations topics excite, comfort, confuse, or fill you with dread? Why? If needed, look up the NCTM Standards for number & Operations (https://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-Positions/Principles-and-Standards/Number-and-Operations/) or your state’s curriculum standards. For example, you can find the Florida standards on the cpalms website (https://www.cpalms.org/Public/search/Standard).
4. How comfortable do you feel with number and operations content for high school (the actual content, not just teaching high school-level classes)? Explain. What specific high school number & operations topics excite, comfort, confuse, or fill you with dread? Why? (Refer to the standards if needed)
5. What memories stand out to you from your K-12 experiences with number and operations? In what ways have you been influenced by those experiences? Elaborate/explain.
6. What do you feel are your strengths and areas for growth when it comes to teaching and learning number and operations? Explain/elaborate.
Be sure to elaborate/explain your responses. You will be assessed on the thoroughness of your answers/explanations.
This journal entry should be no fewer than 500 words long (not counting the questions themselves).