I never liked math. I remember not having any confidence in my math skills as early as the first grade. I just never believed that I really, truly knew what I was doing.
I watch Curly struggling with the same issues. She cried tonight because she "just can't do it." The thing is that she CAN. Instead she messes around, talks in baby voices and, in general lacks focus. And then when I ask her to get serious and get it done she claims that it's too hard.
This is frustrating. For me and for her. I want to help her, but I want her to help herself too and TRY to do the work.
If I had known at 6 years old that 30 years later elementary school math would still be frustrating me I'm not sure I would ever have bothered to graduate to 2nd grade.
UPDATE: She came home from school yesterday and told me that her friend M had helped her figure it out. I thought "We'll see about that." But indeed, math homework was a breeze last night and a lightbulb seems to have gone off in her head. Apparently M, in all her 7 years on the planet, possesses something I, with a degree in Education, do not: the ability to teach math. All hail the Mighty Miss M for restoring peace and mathematics ability to our homework table!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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