Sometimes when people look back over their lives they can identify critical points when some kind of important change occurred. Was there a point in your life when you experienced a turning point, that is, you changed in some way regarding your understanding of or feelings about math? Please describe a specific episode when you feel you experienced a turning point. If you think you have not experienced a turning point, describe an event that comes closer than any other in qualifying as a turning point.
My turning point happened when I first started to take geometry in the 10th grade. I had always felt like math came so easy to me. If I didn't understand a concept or anything, I wouldn't worry about it and ask a teacher to explain it to me. That would be the end. I would understand. Coming to this class changed my view. This was the first time when something was explained to me, one on one, and I had to pretend like I understood to keep the teacher from staying longer. She had other students who needed her just as bad as I did. It didn't stop that day. Later on in the school year, she would introduce more concepts and I would find myself not knowing what to do, with the explanation. She explained things well, I just couldn't get it. This changed me and showed me that I was no longer mathematically invincible.
Oh my goodness, Gabriel. I cried a little bit when I read this. This sounds like a horrible turning point, when you learned that it was okay to "fake" it in school and just pretend like you knew what was going on. Ouch. It hurts because I think we've all learned to do that at some point, right? We've all learned to just nod and act like we understand something, when we have no idea what the teacher is saying. And this actually helps us excel in school sometimes, rather than professing our ignorance.
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