Skip to main content

Putting My Math Goggles On

I was never good at math when I was in school. I got by but I never truly understood many of the things that I supposedly learned according to my diploma.

Now I'm homeschooling Keeleigh and she's beginning to get into some of those math subjects that I struggled with. I have heard of more than one home school mom jumping ship because of this self-same problem. I, however, have been a little excited during math lessons. Why? Because I'm determined not to give up and guess what? I'm really learning some things. (And, yes, I think it's perfectly acceptable to learn right along with your child!)

This morning it hit me.

Remember those visual illusion books that were popular a few years back? You know the ones where if you stare at them long enough a 3D image will pop out at you? Math is just like that. Contrary to how I felt in high school, someone is not dumb when they don't "get" math. It was like I was staring at one of the visual illusion books and all of my friends were going, "Whoa, look at that!" and I was standing back going, "What? WHAT? I don't see it!" *Little* frustrating.

So this morning we were studying proportions and the first time we read through the example problem it just didn't make sense. But then I kept staring and crossed my eyes at just the right angle and bam! The concept popped out at me.

Hooray for small victories!


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Reasons I Should Stay Off Facebook

1. TMI So, I remember the weirdest things but one brief conversation I had over 10 years ago stands out to me. It was high school and like all high school girls I had friends, enemies, and frienemies. One of my then-frienemies (we've grown up since then!) was friends with one of my enemies. Standing by the lockers one day, frienemy walks up and says in reference to enemy something like, "She shares too much information. Sometimes it's almost like, 'Hey, guys. I just farted.'" Of course, at the time I ate this up and laughed at her expense but over the years it's been a little reminder that more often than not I need to shut up. Just shut up. I've often been tempted (and have too often given in to the temptation) to over share. I think the Internet feels far safer than it really is. I need to remember that. 2. Friends...or Stalkers? Speaking of "friends", I have 321 of them. I know that number is much higher for many of you, but ...
10 comments
Read more

I Turned Down a Large Sum of Money.

In Alaska there are lots of homeschooling options. The state has a statute which basically says that if you are a child’s parent or guardian you can educate them. The end. No other requirements, no tests, no reporting. You are their mama and in control (as it should be!) Along with having a private tutor or being a part of a religious private school, one option is to homeschool as a part of the public school system.  Because Alaska is so large and areas can be so remote, homeschooling used to be quite the neccessity. It meant schooling out of a box—correspondence school. Now things have changed and homeschoolers have an entire plethora of options. Here you can join a group (sort of extension of the public schools) and if you meet the requirements, you get money to support your students. A LOT of money. Around $2,000 a child.  I have only homeschooled in Louisiana and Alabama both of which give parents a good bit of freedom. I was nervous about joining a group in which I had to...
2 comments
Read more

Secrets

Can I let you in on a secret? On New Year's Day I bought a little notebook and each day since I've written in it. I'm hoping I have the guts to write unabashedly dear diary style. Then I'm hoping to use this record as notes for a book I've entitled Secrets of a Seminary Wife . I'm not talkin' secrets about how to get grass stains out of your little boys' jeans. I'm talking about a tell-all story about me--warts and all. It'll be like Tammy Faye Baker gets saved on Wisteria Lane. And maybe I will slip in some secrets on how to get grass stains out because, heck, we've gotta deal with that, too. Why? Because I wish the world knew what happens here. Here at seminary. Here in the heart of a believer. That we struggle. That half the people I know are on food stamps and Medicaid working their tails off trying to do what God has called them to do. That we sin, too--we get angry, we are lustful, we lie. That sometimes the only thing that keeps us ...
4 comments
Read more