Posted on 07/29/2012 6:05:38 AM PDT by reaganaut1
I teach in a private Catholic school. :)
No gubmint Union for me.
Good for you! Really!
You are part of the solution.
Thank you. Still part-time and trying to save up to get my all-level certification. I have a history degree, but where I teach would rather have me teaching other stuff as well.
Ha, ok - my husband is a geochemist who adores his engineers and their real-world applications. Let me rephrase that so as to honor the engineers among us.
I am referring to one (used-to-be) engineer who later taught at the local high school. My students could not understand her presentation of algebra. It was her first year, so there’s another minus. She had absolutely zero understanding of how 9th graders thought - not all of them are yet conceptual thinkers - and zero tolerance of having to explain things a second time or another way. Students were miserable, she was self-righteous.
She told my one student - at a conference WITH the parents and in front of the student - ‘your daughter will never do well in algebra. She should just get out right now (it was 3 weeks into the school year!!). Mom was apoplectic. Daughter was the most studious, determined kid I ever taught, and very polite.
Ha, ok - my husband is a geochemist who adores his engineers and their real-world applications. Let me rephrase that so as to honor the engineers among us.
I am referring to one (used-to-be) engineer who later taught at the local high school. My students could not understand her presentation of algebra. It was her first year, so there’s another minus. She had absolutely zero understanding of how 9th graders thought - not all of them are yet conceptual thinkers - and zero tolerance of having to explain things a second time or another way. Students were miserable, she was self-righteous.
She told my one student - at a conference WITH the parents and in front of the student - ‘your daughter will never do well in algebra. She should just get out right now (it was 3 weeks into the school year!!). Mom was apoplectic. Daughter was the most studious, determined kid I ever taught, and very polite.
Ha, ok - my husband is a geochemist who adores his engineers and their real-world applications. Let me rephrase that so as to honor the engineers among us.
I am referring to one (used-to-be) engineer who later taught at the local high school. My students could not understand her presentation of algebra. It was her first year, so there’s another minus. She had absolutely zero understanding of how 9th graders thought - not all of them are yet conceptual thinkers - and zero tolerance of having to explain things a second time or another way. Students were miserable, she was self-righteous.
She told my one student - at a conference WITH the parents and in front of the student - ‘your daughter will never do well in algebra. She should just get out right now (it was 3 weeks into the school year!!). Mom was apoplectic. Daughter was the most studious, determined kid I ever taught, and very polite.
Yes, Multiplication works the same regardless of order. For example, 3x5 is the same as 5x3. That should make sense when you picture multiplication as a repetitive addition. If you have 4 piles of 5 pennies, it is the same amount of money as if you have 5 piles of 4 pennies.
Of course, your question already shows knowledge of the “language” of math. You knew how to construct a sentence that reflects a math question. It was funny how many people needed work to understand the shorthand you just used. “What happened to the multiplication sign?”
I raised four kids and I loved my teaching days. I had a blast with the students. I particularly enjoy the challenging students
Most hated algebra - because they were taught it out of a book rather than have some simply explain it to them.
Algebra isn’t so much about “proofs” as rules; formulae. It’s like learning anything else....and what I always taught my kids: Learn the terminology (KNOW what the words/terms really mean), then learn the rules. Everything else falls into place. It really is that easy.
My 4- and 2-year-olds are learning algebra. Not kidding.
It’s disguised as a game, but they’re learning the essence nonetheless.
DragonBox: http://dragonboxapp.com/
The problem isn’t inability to learn, it’s unwillingness to.
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