Guest Post: Astrid’s Essay About Leadership in "Big + Little Math"
Every fall our 8th graders begin their journey of looking at high schools. We hate to think of these amazing kids leaving us, but they are ready for the next step and always go off to rigorous high schools across Austin. Recently one of our 8th graders, Astrid, wrote a high school admissions essay that highlighted her experience as a math mentor in our program called “Big + Little Math.” Astrid gave us permission to share this essay with you once it had been turned in as part of her application process for a particular high school — Enjoy!
I never thought I would get to be a math teacher in seventh grade, but in late fall of 2019, I suddenly found myself standing at a whiteboard teaching a third grade student how to simplify fractions. This unexpected opportunity not only taught me more about myself as a leader and as a friend, but also ended up impacting the entire school.
Early in seventh grade, as I was chatting with my friends before school started, I noticed one of my teachers, Mrs. White, sitting on the floor at the front of the room with two of the new students, second graders named Annie and June. They both needed a little extra help with math, so Mrs. White had been working with them before school.
I remember being interested in the math Mrs. White was teaching. It was all things I had learned when I was in elementary school, before I came to Long-View, but instead of rushing through the material, Mrs. White was patiently making sure that Annie and June really understood the content. It was amazing for me to see how focused a second grader could be, and how deeply these two girls began to understand the concepts after only one day.
At Long-View Micro School, math lessons are almost always a discussion, even with the little kids. The teacher presents the work that will be studied, but the kids are allowed to talk freely and contribute to the conversation. The class works as a group to solve the problem. Kids don’t have to raise their hands, and everyone learns good communication skills. The class doesn’t move on until everyone clearly understands it.
The next morning before school, Mrs. White was back at the front of the room with Annie and June. I took a deep breath and walked over to them. “Do you mind if I watch?” I asked. “Sure!” Mrs. White replied.
Every morning for the next few months, I came in before school and helped Mrs. White work with Annie and June in math. But then, one week, I was absent for a day. When I came back, Mrs. White wasn’t there, and Annie and June were off playing with their friends. My friend, Susannah, walked over to me. “Did Mrs. White tell you about Big + Little Math yet?”
“No.” I said. “What’s that?”
“It’s a new program she’s starting, where some of the older students help tutor the younger ones. You gave her the idea!” Susannah said.
I was surprised. I had no idea that Mrs. White had even been thinking about creating a program. I was a little worried. I had gotten used to working with Annie and June, but Mrs. White had always been there. Was I really ready to start working with younger kids on my own?
The next day, I found out that my ‘Little’ would be a girl named Ellen. I had seen her around the school, but I had never really interacted with her. The very first morning we worked together, I could tell that, unlike June or Annie, she wasn’t really interested in math. She answered all the easier questions quickly, but didn’t put much attention into those that would take her a bit longer. By the time the morning was over, I was exhausted. How was I ever supposed to help Ellen in math if she wouldn’t focus?
But as we worked together, over time, things started to change. Ellen, seeing that I was interested in math, began to show interest herself. One morning, I was helping her work through a complex multiplication problem, when the teachers started gathering us for Campfire, the school-wide morning meetings. Normally, Ellen would leave as soon as it was time for Campfire, glad to be done with math, but today was different. “We’re so close!” she said, still writing. She paused for a moment, stuck on 23 (11). “You can use the distributive property,” I reminded her.
Usually, Ellen would stop at this step, and start saying that it was too hard for her to do. But today she just said, “Thanks!” rapidly writing twenty of eleven and three of eleven, i.e. 20(11) + 3 (11). She did the multiplication, added the two numbers together, added it with the parts she had already solved, wrote the total below all her work, and circled it three times.
“You did it!” I cheered. Ellen gave me a big hug. “That was awesome!”
After that, Ellen continued to make big breakthroughs, and began to really enjoy spending time working on math with me in the mornings. Surprisingly, I was also making big breakthroughs. The time I was spending with Ellen was really helping my communication skills. I learned how to clearly explain a concept, and learned how to be a better listener.
In the Big + Little Math program, I learned that being a leader doesn’t mean your voice has to be the loudest or the most dominant. I take a lot of pride in myself as a leader now, knowing that I can lead in a more compassionate way, respect other people’s opinions and viewpoints, and appreciate their strengths. In the Big + Little Math program, seeing the math, and the entire school, from Ellen’s perspective allowed me to show her that learning could be fun, and she taught me how to be a better listener, and a kinder person. I’ve loved having this unexpected friendship.
I am so excited to start high school this upcoming school year. All my experiences at Long-View Micro School have taught me so much about being a leader and a student, and how much I value learning. I’ve heard so many good things from students at [new school’s] about how much the school values everyone’s individual strengths, and I hope to bring everything I’ve learned to the [new school’s] community.
*(The students’ names were changed and the essay was lightly edited for blog readability).
