MATH STUDENT'S HISTORY

 In the following forum I want to tell a little about my history with mathematics and the real challenge that it has represented for me since I was 11 years old ...

All my primary and secondary education were 100% bilingual where mathematics was in English and for some strange reason from the root I had learning problems so to speak in the area of ​​mathematics so much so that I had a hard time learning the multiplication tables starting with 2 and that dragged it to 6th grade ...

I reached 7th grade with comprehension problems but still understood and passed my classes in English. The following year they changed me to another school and enrolled me in the semi-bilingual degree since my parents did not want me to have a language shock when I got to university. The strongest impact, how ever, was in the area of ​​mathematics, since being in a new language for me (Spanish) it was little to nothing what I understood and when I tried to explain it in English so that my teacher would understand me; my classmates and the teacher himself told me that the class was not in English. In addition to this, I did not receive help of any kind, to such an extent that I almost failed mathematics in the eighth grade; when in the other classes I had excellent grades. And so I progressed to 12th grade leading and understanding baby steps.

Until a teacher arrived who became my personal tutor, he helped me to see the numbers from another perspective and to feel them as something more natural when before they scared me but that magic only existed with him, no one else could make me understand. When I got to the university I chose a somewhat complex career full of mathematics with the faith that everything would be different and that I was going to be able to cope alone but I did not remember how hard it was to learn to such a degree that I thought that I would never pass a mathematics in the university without at least taking it twice ...

But everything took a 180 ° turn until I got to Geometry and Trigonometry, the topics did not enter me anywhere, I did not understand anything no matter how they explained to me so I withdrew it 3 times almost consecutive because no matter how hard I tried I did not understand, in one of those many attempts I began to explain how little I understood to my classmates and that opened my mind, I realized that helping others caused something in me and finally I saw the light!

However, the exam did not go as expected, but if there was a noticeable change in the grade, I did not pass the class but I lost my fear. The next time I took it, I passed it but this time I did things my way, at my time and at my pace ... Because I felt that no teacher could understand how difficult it was for me, they only told me "Study more" "Do not go to the gym" "Do not participate in x things" when the effort I made to understand my class was 4 times more than what everyone imagined and that these activities helped me to drain fears and nerves before an exam or test ...

I finally passed the class! and I decided to pass the following classes the first time and so it was with Linear Algebra, I was so afraid of mathematics, they gave me anxiety, nausea, stress to such a degree that I forgot everything in the exams. But when I got to Lineal I began to have peace and I approved it on the first try ...

Two quarters later I have enrolled a class with you Inge and the truth is that you are like my angel, it reminded me so much of that teacher that he became my tutor and turned me into an 80's and 90's alumana when I was 40 aluman ´so 50´s, this class I waited so long that I stopped enrolling it 3 tris in a row just because there was no space with you and I do not regret the decision!

Thank you for being a true teacher, for0 motivating us and being an exceptional teacher, for making us laugh and above all for being patient. I have had several teachers and some of them even criticized me for asking a lot or copying from beginning to end with colors and organized everything in the pizza maker since for them "Instead of wasting time decorating in class, better study" but they did not know what it was my method of retention and analysis of my learning.

I honestly wish you were the teacher of all mathematics, however I know that it will not be like that but I thank you very much for being so special and giving so much love to your classes. I send you a hug, Thank you very much for everything Inge..

I really hope to find a teacher like you in Statics, also in Mechanics and Strength of Materials This is the short story of a student. FB