I usually assign Addie and Stuart their math sections, then let them work independently unless they need my help. Today, however, there was a section that I knew we'd need to do together. It looked pretty scary, but even though Darren was home because of the snow, I was confident I could walk them through it myself. It looked like this:
6 x 13 = (__ + 10) = (6 x __) + (6 x 10) = __ + 60 = 78
We got all the way to the second blank before I called, "Um, Sweetheart? Could you come in here a minute?"
So Darren took over the lesson, and the kids had a rip-roaring twenty minutes learning about the distributive property and algebraic equations. No, really, I'm serious -- Addie was engaged, and Stuart frankly enchanted. Darren finished the section with them, then at Stuart's request did some extra equations.
While I was working with Addie on something else, Stuart wrote out his own algebraic equation and asked me to solve it. It took me two false starts, but I'd watched Darren's lesson so I eventually figured out what to do.
In fact, for the first time I can remember, I understood what to do. Inspired, I printed out a basic algebra worksheet and proceeded to solve 24 problems. Correctly.
If the sight of 24 algebra problems never struck horror to your soul and brought tears to your eyes, then don't even try to understand why I'm celebrating today's triumph. But I suspect there are several readers who will rejoice with me.
I owe a lot of thanks to my fifth- through eighth-grade math teachers; I still know how to multiply, divide, and keep my signs straight. I owe a lot of thanks to my mom, who struggled with me through high school algebra despite its obvious futility. And to my late stepfather, may he rest in peace now that he no longer has to watch me cry over 5-x/4.
But I do wish I'd actually understood what the numbers were doing, all those years ago. I'm glad that we can take extra care that our kids understand them. And I have every hope that math is going to be a lot more enjoyable the second time through.
-- SJ
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6 comments:
Yay!
And you know, I went through Algebra early, did well at it, and I still remember the light bulb going on a few years later when I started playing with numbers and figured out what it all really meant.
Math is worth many revisitings. Now I'm seeing all kinds of amazing patterns in basic addition and subtraction.
So if I start saving my money now, perhaps I can fly Darren out to teach us all math in a few years. :)
QoC - No kidding! I was amazed when I realized the 9-times-table pattern. I've been working algebra problems all evening, and my teenage self is collapsing against my shoulder in relief that one of us finally gets it.
Rachelle - Darren would probably contribute his own money to fly out and teach y'all math! (Can the rest of us come too? :) )
I absolutly understand, and congratulations!! While learning to teach 4 and 5th grade math I actually learned how to work with fractions. Adding fractions makes some sense,now that I have to explain it with pictures and pie pieces! What really goofs me up is this idea... what is 2/3 of 7/8? I mean really and why?!! I had to remediate myself in algebra in order to pass an exam in college. Our high school algebra's program was poor. The teachers never taught to the end of the book, so whatever was in the last couple of chapters, I never learned! Sad!!
-Nina
Hooray for Darren and for you.
So glad for you, Sara! Not only that you "get it," but that you are ENJOYING "getting it."
~ Leah
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