27. Consider the Circle by Eliza Vanett

A very short episode about an article written by a young girl concerning her experiences with maths. At school, she is faced daily with the same worksheet, always refusing to do it. Her teachers continue to give her the sheet every day for months, keeping her out of the normal classroom. She becomes resentful and angry at maths and at school, and continues her protest of inaction. When she discovers Math Circles, a different approach to maths education, then she stops feeling neglected and starts, gradually, to engage. With time she not only gains confidence in the maths she is "supposed" to know, but also discovers mathematics as a field full of things to explore - and things she is capable of exploring. Having gained confidence and understanding from Math Circles, she eventually graduates from high school and enrols in university. (A happy ending, one presumes.) We will be talking a good deal about Math Circles, so this little story makes a good anecdotal introduction to their potential benefits. It sounds a bit like an advert, but Eliza Vanett is a real person who really underwent these experiences and volunteered to write this herself. You'll hardly see adverts for Math Circles on television. Enjoy the episode.

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