Do teachers (and parents) play a role in shaping the flavors of students' mathematical narratives? You bet! We have the power to influence the bitterness or sweetness of students' mathematical experiences. Join me as I introduce the metaphor of a Mason jar as a container for students' math autobiographies.

Each of our students comes to us with a jar - pre-filled with their thoughts and beliefs about math and about themselves as math learners. How do the contents shift over the course of a school year?

Let's take a look.