Decades later returning to college I had to sit through another remedial math class. Honestly I didn't know if I would get through it this time either.
About 3 weeks in the teacher discussed a concept so simple he had me solving quadratic equations in one class. What was the one concept that I somehow missed in all those decades of struggle? What teacher and tutor neglected to note I had not learned? Please Remember My Dear Aunt Sally.
I tend to blame the whole ‘new math’ concept of teaching math. I now understand it was not because I was dumb about math, heck I aced Physics, but could not pass an algebra class! It was about how they muddied what should have been the logical expression of mathematics. I got through physics...because it was logical, visual, and hands-on. I didn't need their new math theory of teaching, I could reason out the answer ...often in my head.
I did that once in the remedial math class with a story problem. Within seconds blurted out the answer...the teacher knew I didn't complete any written work. He is the same one that told me about my dear aunt sally.
Amen!
I was GREAT in math, but when it came time to help my own daughter; I couldn't even understand what they were trying to teach!
I did that once in the remedial math class with a story problem. Within seconds blurted out the answer...the teacher knew I didn’t complete any written work. He is the same one that told me about my dear aunt sally.
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I learned it as Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.
Parenthesis
Exponents
Multiply
Divide
Add
Subtract
This is of course, the order of operations for any math sentance.