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On my 5th birthday, my parents gave me my first piggy bank. This was the first time I was introduced to the concept of sving your money. Form then on, I alwasy ket track of how much money i had so that I could save up for something really cool.
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I remember so distinctly, the day in 5th grade that my teacher introduced multiplication of two 2-digit numbers. I had no idea what was going on. It was the first time that I didn't understand math. Luckily, my older brother helped me at home a few days later, but I'll never forget how completely defeated I felt.
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7th grade coking class was the first time I had to follow a recipe. I hadn't ever really seen math applied to real life until the group next to hours totally screwed up their cake because they did tablespoons of baking soda instead of teaspoons. Made me realize how important proportions are.
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The High School Exit Exam. I had taken countless standardized tests before this, but this was the first one that really mattered for my future. i remember sitting in my seat in the gym and realizing that my future was riding on this test. I was so thankful to all my math teachers for doing a good job and so happy that I had paid attention in class.
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Another standardized test. This one was even bigger though. College was on the line this time, and I was determined to do well. All my hard work and effort was finally culminating and I was stressed out beyond belief.
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Two days after graduating High School, my mom took me to the bank to open my first bank account. I felt like an adult for the first time. The feeling that I got from my first piggy bank came back as I realized the importance of accounting for your expenses and budgeting your money.
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Suddenly the excitement of being an adult was over. I took out my first college loan and I began to understand what the reality of adulthood is: stressful. I immediately felt the weight of debt on my soulders and to this day, have not yet had that weight lifted.
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My first real job was a serving position at Chili's. When I applied, the management had me take a mandatory math test. It was surprisngly thorough and was all mental math, and I sat there thinking, dude, some people definitely could not pass this test. I was so glad that I was proficient enough to get such an awesome first job, and couldn't imagine how hard it would be to get hired if I hadn't been so good at math.
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Now that I had gotten the hang of budgeting and planning for the future, i decided it was time to get my first credit card. I had to do a lot of research, comparing different options but finally settled on a great beginners account with a low APR and relatively good benefits and rewards. My math skills really came in handy when comparing and planning, a skill that I'm sure to use for the rest of my life.
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My passion for education and my enthusiasm for math has driven me to become a math techer. I hope to change my students' lives the way that my teachers did mine, and hope to teach them the skills necessary for success in everyday life. Because as it turns out, math is everywehre.
