Neve Buckmaster Border reflects on her journey with mathematics, highlighting that memorable lessons, such as learning about the Fibonacci Sequence, reveal the beauty of mathematics in the natural world. She believes that fostering an inclusive and explorative learning environment can inspire more people to find their place in mathematics.
When contemplating the topic of ‘Mathematics for Everyone’, I took time to reflect on my own personal journey with mathematics and what events inspired me to continue studying the subject until this point. What comes to mind are theorems, formulae, and techniques for solving complex problems;. however, I have few memories attached to learning these skills, nor of the class or the reason for learning the skill. I also rarely find myself thinking of these topics outside the boundaries of a classroom.
Of the memories I do have, one rings out the loudest above the rest. This was the day I learned about the Fibonacci Sequence. Of course, I don’t remember word for word what my teacher said, but what I do remember is staring outside the window with the sun streaming through, looking for the golden ratio in the exploding spring greenery. It was awe-inspiring to me that something discussed in class and on paper could be displayed so vividly in the natural world surrounding me every day.
This lesson was not part of our syllabus for that year. To me, this was what truly made the lesson so memorable. There was no looming exam, no deadline, and no repetitive sequence to be memorized in order to solve a problem. We were just allowed to enjoy the beauty of mathematical phenomena and explore for ourselves.
Despite my excitement for mathematics, I’ve found myself struggle to feel like I completely belong when studying the subject. I know I’m not the only one and I think that the reason many people believe they are not welcome in mathematics is because they are intimidated by the way the subject is taught and the anxiety surrounding examinations.
If mathematics was taught the same way that it was taught to me that day, I believe many more people will find their place in the subject.
By utilizing teamwork and having group discussions about new topics, exploring more real-world examples, and taking away the pressure of an impending high-stakes exam by having regular small assessments, we can showcase everyone’s individual mathematical talents.
When learning about the Fibonacci Sequence, we also learned about the ‘honeycomb conjecture’, which inspired my drawing for my piece on this topic. The image of the bees against the honeycomb is a metaphor for everyone having a place in mathematics the same way that all bees have a place in the hive. Everyone has a place in mathematics. Perhaps someone takes more time to create a small segment, whereas someone else may contribute large chunks of ‘honeycomb’, but overall, the hive that is built belongs to everyone
Neve Buckmaster Border
Student (Second Year), Studying BSc Chemistry with Polymer Science at Stellenbosch University
References
Hales, Thomas C. (2001). The Honeycomb Conjecture Discrete and Computational Geometry 25: 1-22.
