My Education, My Profession
by Marian Minar
About Me
I haven't been teaching for very long, but I knew that I've wanted to teach for quite some time. I would be lying if I said that some of the motivation to become a teacher didn't come from seeing some poor, if not lazy, teaching. I would also be lying if I said that some of my inspiration to become a teacher didn't come from seeing the best of them. Mostly, my love for teaching comes from the aspiration and the dedication to knowingly (and of course, unknowingly) influence a student's love for learning.
I was born in the small town of Vrchalbi, Czech Republic and spent most of my early childhood in the even smaller town of Hostinne, not too far from where I was born. I remember those days somewhat vaguely . In that same thought, I must say that I do remember being a poor student: unmotivated and often a class clown (I haven't moved from my roots very far). At the age of 8, my family, mother, father and sister, came to Canada into a much different life. Firstly, the teaching system did not have corporal punishment (althought I know some now that wish we still would). Secondly, I knew not a word of English. Shaken, and "out of my comfort zone", schooling was the only thing I had to cling to.
Years later, I would graduate from a small high school in northern British Columbia, and move onto acquiring a double major BSc. in mathematics and physics. Why? Pure curiosity and interest. An exploration of the mind. I never aspired to become the next Feynmann or Polya, but perhaps a Feynmann or Polya of math teaching.
Oh to make mathematics attractive to all. Well, not coerce the masses, no. Let's try it again. To create thirst for mathematics where no thirst was present before.