Name

:MykaelaBarnes

StudentLedComments/GrowthandDevelopmentReflection

1. Reflectonthe
StandardsofMathematicalPractice
andtheGrowthandDevelopmentGoalsthat
yousetatthebeginningoftheyearorsemester.Selectthegoalinwhichyouhaveshownthe
mostgrowth.Describeexactlyhowyouhavegrown.Useevidencetosupportyourclaims.

Makesenseofproblemsandpersevereinsolvingthem.IthinkIgrewthemostingoal#1
becauseImabletolookatdifferenttypesofproblemsandknowexactlywhatequationtouseand
howtofindtheanswer.Icanconnectvariousproblemstodifferentactivitieswedidinclass.For
example,ontheSATtherewasaquestionaboutlogs.IwassoexcitedtosolveitbecauseIknew
howtosolveitandcouldclearlypictureMs.GCteachingustheproblemontheboardandmyself
workingitoutonpaper.Alongwiththat,Idontgetasdiscouragedwhenmakingmistakes.Inthe
past,whenIwouldgetproblemswrong,Iwouldbecomedisappointed.Now,whenIrealizethe
mistakesImake,IlearnfromthemandtellmyselfhowsillyitisthatImesseduponelittlething.

2. Inwhichgoaldidyoufindtheleastgrowththisyear?Whatkeptyoufromgrowinginthisarea?
Whatcanyoudodifferentlynextyear?

Lookforandmakeuseofstructure.(IcanusewhatIalreadyknowtosolvenewproblems.)Idont
thinkIreached/improvedwiththisgoalbecauseIhaveareallyhardtimelearningnewconcepts.I
justcantrecognizetrendswithinconcepts.Ineedtobetoldstraightforwardthatthisnewconcept
usestheidea/equationasthisoldconcept.Next,Icouldtryandbemoreexperimentalwhenit
comestonewproblemsandtrysolvingthemevenifIdontthinkitsright.

3. Describehowyoucontributedtothelearningenvironmentintheclassroom.Siteexamples
ofhowyoucontributedtowholeclassdiscussionsandsmallgroupsdiscussions.Describe
howthishasaffectedyourabilitytolearnandgrowasamathematician.

BesidesbeingtheTAandgivinglessons,IthinkIaskedquestionsoftentoclarifysolutionsand
confusionsthatotherstudentsmayhavebeencuriousabout.Iwasusuallymosthelpfulinsmall
groupdiscussionsatmytable.Ididreallywellsolvingproblemswithotherpeople.Mostofthetime,
everyonewouldsolveaproblem,thenwewouldcompareanswers,andifwegotdifferentanswers
wewouldeachwalkthroughitandseewherewemadeamistake.EventhoughIdidntsolve
problemsontheboardoften,IstillfeellikeworkingingroupshelpedmefigureoutwhatIwasdoing
wronginaproblem.

4. Whatwerethemostsignificantthingsthatyoulearnedthissemester?Whatdidyoulearn
aboutExponentialFunctions,Programming,FinancialPlanningandTrigonometrythatyou
didnotknowatthebeginningoftheyear?Howcouldtheseconceptsorideasbeusefulto
youinreallife?Explainhow/whenyoucanusethem.

Themostsignificantportionofmaththissemesterwasthefinancialplanningunit.Itwasreallyeye
openingtocalculatehowmuchmoneyyouwouldneedtomakeinordertoliveoffacertainbudget

orsupportafamily.ThatssomethingyoudontusuallylearninschoolandIreallyappreciatethat
factthatwecompletedthatunit.Iwasunfamiliarwitheverythingthathadtodowithexponential
functions,programming,financialplanning,andtrig,soeverythingtaughtwasnewforme.

5.
Describehowyourintelligencehasgrownthroughyoureffortsintheclassthisyear.

Itsobviouslyhardtomeasureintelligence,butIcandefinitelysaythatnotonethingIlearnedwas
arepeatedtopicforme.Throughouttheyear,Ivegainednewskillsforproblemsolving,toolsI
noticedmyselfusingduringtheSAT.IguessmyintelligencehasgrownbecauseImapplyingwhat
Ilearnedinclassoutsideoftheclassroom.

6.Tellmeaboutsomethingthathaschallengedyouorthatyoudidntunderstandinthelasttwo
projects.Whatdidyoudotoworkthroughitandunderstandit?Howdidyoushow
grit
andhowdid
you
persevere
throughit?Whatcouldyouhavedonebetterduringthistime?

Igotreallyconfusedattheverybeginningofthetrigonometryunit.Itwashardformetomemorize
theratiosandthenfigureouthowtosolveforlengthsandangles,forrightandnonrighttriangles.I
justhadahardtimegraspingtheconcept,especiallywhenweweredoingworksheetswherewe
werediscoveringhowtheconceptcameabout.Iconstantlydoublecheckedmyanswersandpaid
closeattentionwhenproblemsweresolvedontheboard.Icouldhaveaskedmorequestionsto
fullyunderstandeverything.

7.Whatareyoumostproudofthissemester/yearandwhy?Bespecificanduseevidenceif
possible.

Imreallyproudofhowmyconfidencehasgrowninmath.Iusedtogetfrustratedinmath,but
somehowthisyearIwasabletocorrectmymistakeswithease.Atthebeginningoftheyear,Iwas
supernervousaboutthemathportionoftheSAT.Throughouttheyear,Ivenaturallygainedskills
(andmoreequations/knowledge)thatIappliedwhentakingtheSAT.DuringtheSAT,Iwas
shockedathowIwasabletoremembercertainproblemswedidinclassandthatIcouldcalmly
thinktomyself,Yougotthis!AyearagoIwouldhaveneverthoughtIwouldbesorelaxedduring
themathsectionoftheSAT.