Author Archives: nicolefonger

Telling stories.

I was recently inspired to tell stories. In a talk by Dr. Susan May Basalla, she told of the stories she has learned from others seeking positions outside of academia. In her talk she spoke of being inspired by things that motivate us, that we are passionate about, taking our own paths that are certainlyContinue reading “Telling stories.”

Believe in your own work.

One lesson that I’ve learned in my post as a postdoctoral fellow is to Believe In Your Own Work. A mentor of mine told me a story about how a senior scholar had submitted his master’s thesis to JRME. His submission was originally rejected. Upon receiving the reviews, he responded to the editor in disagreement with the reviewers,Continue reading “Believe in your own work.”

A light switch.

Someone once said they are not aiming for happiness in life, but rather, engagement in life. It now makes me wonder if this is my quest as well. Recently it seems as though I’ve been reaching for happiness but falling short. Never quite getting it right. From this refreshed perspective, maybe I’m not falling shortContinue reading “A light switch.”

Chin up.

From a diplomatic advisor, a fresh perspective on the tumultuous calamity that I call my life, is to keep your chin up. Practical advice, that may be hard to swallow, but true to “practical,” “achievable,” in many ways it is quite simple. While I grit my teeth so hard to cause major tension headaches and jaw strain, IContinue reading “Chin up.”

Working hard.

I aspire to being a leader in the field of mathematics education. To pursuing excellence and shaping the direction of our future generations of students, teachers, and other educational leaders. In some ways, I struggle in understanding how the greats got to be where they are. I’ve been collecting quotes from movies and songs thatContinue reading “Working hard.”

“[T]he psycholo…

“[T]he psychological definition of a concept cannot be reduced to its scientific definition … [M]athematicians normally strive to be precise, complete and parsimonious when they write definitions, whereas psychologists try to understand how concepts are progressively shaped, by different kinds of situations and competences and by different kinds of linguistic representation and symbols.” (Vergnaud, 1997,Continue reading ““[T]he psycholo…”

Inspiration.

Not a day goes by that I notice different things in life that inspire me. Today it was an article, and a conversation with a colleague around teachings of Buddhism. I will discuss the article now, and save Buddhism for a later post. Paola Sztajn and colleagues recently published an article on theory supporting mathematics professionalContinue reading “Inspiration.”

Encouraging words.

I am always learning. Today I have learned the power of encouraging words. Words the seek to inspire, to motivate, to push ahead, to make progress when faced with adversity and challenges. This also reminds me of a few quote from movies I’ve enjoyed with my family recently. “A true warrior never quits” (Kung FuContinue reading “Encouraging words.”

A Blessing or a Curse?

I have recently seen others post comments or engage in conversations about loathing the writing process, calling for a good “creative flow” to inform their writing, or not looking forward to meeting the deadline. Is this a fear of writing? A dislike for sharing critical thinking on a written page? This leads me to wonder if writingContinue reading “A Blessing or a Curse?”