math and climbing

[ursula]

In November, my article on math anxiety and climbing came out in the magazine Math Horizons. It's about how I used what I know about teaching math to talk myself into climbing a wall. My first climbing partner, Megan, was on the magazine cover:

http://www.maa.org/mathhorizons/nov11.jpg

I've posted a proof of the article on my professional website:

http://people.uwec.edu/whitchua/notes/mathandgymclass-mathhorizons.pdf

Comments

[rydra_wong]

Thanks so much for posting this! I just wanted to say that I've linked to it here.

[indywind]

Here via rydra_wong.
This idea is relevant to my interests. Commensurate with the limitations one imposes on oneself by focusing on judgement, failure & insecurity, there are the limitations imposed by others - teachers, coaches, senior participants, who undermine or outright prevent participation--and thus growth-- by people who don't come to their first experiences already successful.
I don't climb (yet?), but I did take up yoga for a social "sport" (to complement my solitary running & cycling & weight training) where everyone is permitted an encouraged to engage at their own level without competition or judgment. the more I hear about climbing, the more it appeals.

[rydra_wong]

the more I hear about climbing, the more it appeals.

Be careful, we proselytize. *g*

If you've got any questions or there's anything you're curious/worried about, you'd be very welcome to ask here.

And the experiences: first time tag might be of interest.

I should add that climbing meshes with yoga very, very well; a lot of climbers do yoga.