Describe one topic you feel you have mastered this semester.

Describe the activities that

helped you learn this activity . How do you know you have mastered this skill?
Ever since the 3rd grade Ive never been very excited about math. I think this aversion to
it has stemmed from the fact that I have never really understood math. Ive always been one step
behind, the concepts never really clicking. I went into this year with the same closed mindset Id
had for years, I don't and won't understand this. But for the first time, Im coming out of this
semester with the opposite mindset, I do and will get this...I GET THIS!
The skill that I really understood and even began to enjoy doing this year was the
Pythagorean Theorem. When Aliza first introduced it, it seemed daunting and confusing. But
over the next class periods and weeks, this misconception was replaced with confidence and
understanding and now my understanding is on the way to a place of mastery!
The first assignment that I began to start to grasp the Pythagorean theorem was the
Triangles 1 and 2 packets . I found the repetition of using the formula over and over again very
beneficial because it made me very comfortable and confident using it. The second exercise that
helped me on the way to mastery was the 3rd Problem of the Week. This helped me because it
allowed me to see how it could realistically apply to the real world and how to apply it to
different math problems. However, the activity that made me realize how much I understood the
Pythagorean Theorem was a starter that required me to use the formula. It was a difficult
problem and everyone in the class was really struggling with the problem but, for the first time
(ever), I understood the problem almost immediately and, what's more, was the first to solve it! It
was such a foreign feeling that made me feel so happy and confident and, for the first time
(ever) math brought me joy. Mastering a skill in anything feels very good but mastering
something you never really even considered is something really special...who knew math could
be special!
How have the Explorations (and group discussions of Explorations) changed your
experience as a math student this year? In what ways have they made math class more
challenging, and in what ways have the Explorations and discussions helped you learn?
Math at Animas High School is taught in a very different sort of way from what I have
experienced before. This year we have had two main sorts of assignments; Problems of the Week
and Explorations. Explorations are worksheets that usually have about 8 to 14 problems on them
that force us to use critical thinking and problem solving skills in order to answer the questions.
At the beginning of the year I was not the biggest fan of them, but as I reflect on them I actually
do see the value in them. They always frustrated me because the answers werent easy, you really
had to think about it and change your approach several times. Now though, I see that made me
stronger at perseverance and problem solving. I had to take my knowledge Id learned in class
and figure out how that applied to that problem. It gave me experience in how to transfer math
concepts to different things. Explorations were far from easy so we often had to reach out to our
peers for help. They made us better at collaborating with our classmates and gave us the skills
on how to use each other's strengths to conquer a problem. Explorations, although they receive

little praise in the moment are actually incredibly useful and effective in turning us into stronger
math students all-round.
What is the hardest math problem you have encountered this semester? Explain how you
solved it, or if you didnt, why you werent able to.
This was a predominantly successful semester in math for me. However, as with anything, I had
times when I struggled. I had a very difficult time with the 4th Problem of the Week. This POW
was not especially hard yet I had such a hard time, so hard that I didn't even finish. I think that
my difficulty stemmed more from the mindset I was in compared to the actual content of the
POW. I read it, started it but soon reached a place where I had no idea what to do next so I began
to shut down and eventually just blew it off. Because I blew it off, by the time I realized that I
really needed to do this POW to improve my grade and my understanding, everyone else in my
class had already completed it. When I do not understand things, I need to talk to other people
and hear their ideas, connections, and methods. I am a verbal processor and, because I limited
myself from doing that, this POW was never completed. After going through this experience
with this POW I am determined that when I do not understand the content and begin to shut
down I reach out to my peers when we are all working on the problem or assignment to insure I
do not have a repeat of this failure.
Which Habit of a Mathematician do you feel you have the most mastery over? Explain
what this skill is and what it means to you. Explain how you have demonstrated this skill,
the activities that helped you develop this skill, and how you have grown in that problemsolving skill this semester.
Anims High Schools Math department has created 4 Habits of a Mathematician that the
department hopes each student to possess. Out of the 4, I am strongest at Communicating
thinking in a clear and accessible way. This habit is focused on communicating your learning
and interacting with your teacher and peers by asking questions, discussing aspects of the
problem and building off of other ideas as a group to ensure the most understanding through
effective communication. Because I am a verbal processor it is essential I learn how to
communicate in an effective way. My ability to do this has greatly improved this semester. Aliza
has her class set up in a way that really allows me to use this daily. For example, on the same
starter I referenced in my first paragraph, I was able to use my communication skills to help
Brianna and Kai understand the problem. I broke it down and drew them a diagram that made
sense to them and talked them through it which resulted in them figuring it out. Another time
when I used this habit effectively was in the last POW of the semester. I was so confused on this
POW because the wording was so unclear to me. However, because of my experience with POW
4 I knew I had to be proactive and communicate with others about what they were thinking about
this problem. I had a conversation with Aliza that led me to talk with Kai and Jason and come up
with the answer by working to rephrase the language so it made sense to me. Communication,
for me, is by far the most important tool I have in finding success in math.
Communicating thinking in a clear and accessible way

Restate the problem in a different way that adds to our understanding

Translate ideas using other forms or representations - language, symbolic, visual
Respond to the ideas of others - ask clarifying questions, build on promising ideas
Solicit contributions from quieter members of the group

For which Habit do you feel you have the most room to stretch? What do you think held
you back from improving in this skill this semester?
This semester I was strong in the habit Communicating thinking in a clear and accessible way
but very weak in Recognizing and resolving errors. I have always struggled with this because,
in Math, when I do understand a problem I'm so excited I get caught up in the excitement and go
with what I think I understand. I often forget to review my work or come up with evidence
behind my answer. In order to limit the amount of mistakes I make I need to, as Ive said so
many times before, verbally process with my peers. This semester I improved in recognizing my
errors somewhat but I still struggle if I can not do it with others. This is clearly shown on tests
Ive taken this year, I received low marks on my Triangle Quiz because I did not recognize many
errors and I did not have people to process them with. In the semester to come I will continue to
use my peers as support but will try to work on doing it more effectively on my own.

Recognizing and resolving errors

Disprove with a reason or counterexample
Generate a new idea from a logical error
Find and/or correct logical flaws
Attend to precision and detail - correct computational errors