How I Learned Math, Part 2
Jul 2nd, 2007 by learningumbrella
So, as I explained in How I Learned Math, Part 1, I managed to leave home with a math phobia and very little preparation to go on with mathematics in college. I wasn’t worried about it at the time, since lots of adults were willing to tell me “I was never good at math, either” or “I’ve never used math in my real life”. It’s socially acceptable to be math incompetent in a way that is not acceptable for any other school subject. I couldn’t have said “I can’t read” or “I know nothing about US History” and received the same support for my ignorance from others.
When I started going to community college, I wanted to be a nurse. That required some chemistry classes, which introduced me to one of the greatest loves of my life. I could “see” those little bits of matter moving about in my head, and I suddenly saw a whole other way of viewing the world dancing in front of my eyes. Unfortunately, I still froze up with the math in the class.
If I was going to learn more chemistry, I was going to have to conquer this math thing. I took the placement test, but was such a wimp I opted for the lowest level of test (where even if you pass it you still have to take a remedial course). It was great to go back that far though. The Math 97 class was basically pre-Algebra, and I did actually know most of the material. What it gave me, however, was a chance to regain some confidence. Seeing how much people struggled with numbers, I suddenly realized that it was OK to spend time and effort on this. It’s not as though you have to either get the answer right away or give up. Math does not require a natural “gift”, and you can be good at it in a slow and methodical “normal” way. That attitude adjustment was huge for me.
I worked my way through the college math classes, and I found that I had to work at it, but I got good grades. Other students wanted to study with me, and I realized they were leaning on me the same way I had leaned on my mom. Watching someone else solve a problem doesn’t help - math is more like exercise. You have to lift your own mental weights to develop the agility and stamina you need. I spent more time on math homework than any other homework, and sometimes I even did more practice problems than had been assigned. I wouldn’t stop until I felt I “owned” that concept and could really do any kind of manipulation of numbers with it. Imagine how proud I felt when I got a 3.9 in Calculus (where I was the only girl in the class - but that’s another discussion for another post).
In sum, I think there are three myths that I fell victim to, and eventually was lucky enough to overcome.
1. Some people are naturally good at math, but most people are not
2. It’s OK to be bad at math - most people are and it doesn’t matter
3. Math problems should be solved quickly, or you might as well give up
I think math is a discipline. I think it’s like exercise. Maybe we can’t all be Olympic athletes, but we can all be in good shape. I also subscribe to a middle ground on the “drill and kill” versus “problem solving” camps. You do need to memorize some things, and you do need to sometimes engage in drill to do it. You also need to be comfortable enough to “play” with math and to see big patterns and develop logical problem solving abilities. You can do both, at the same time, in a moderate and fun way that encourages everyone to keep trying. And you can show them that it’s OK to struggle sometimes. Don’t rush in to solve a problem for anyone else. Coach, encourage, then stand back and watch from a distance. Too much “one on one” can be a crutch if the child never has to rely on themselves to find the solution.
THank you for finishing this thread. Your first post really shook some sense into me, because I have been rushing and helping far too much. I dug out an old “daily Math practice” book that we used the summer before last, and gave it to Girlie. She has all the skills to do each sort of problem, but already relied on me to “remind” her how to do it. This summer, she just has to do a section a day, on her own. I am praising and hinting, but not just taking over and handing it to her on a platter. Part of her is hating the brain work, but the other is thrilled when she remembers.
Thanks again…for helping me recognize when helping too much is hurting!
Well, thank you for your feedback. I’m glad that anyone could find something practical from my writings!
Your posts on this topic have struck home with me, too.
My freshman year of high school, I placed #7 in a statewide test (#7 for “small schools” — there was a separate ranking for those from “large schools”). Of course, this was a huge boost to my ego (or would have been, had not my main math-rival, Justin, placed #5). I think it also led me into math apathy, letting myself think that I was so “naturally” good at math, I didn’t really need to study. That, unfortunately, was true somewhat, because my math education after that first year of high school really slid downhill, quality-wise. It was *far* too easy, too simple. I learned more in that first year of math than I did the three other years of high school.
Then, I got to college, knowing that my math education had suffered, but too proud to take anything other than the engineering calculus that had been assigned to me, as an engineering major. It killed me. I ended up with an F. An F!! I’d never gotten anything below a B in high school, and that happened only twice. I took calculus again (but not engineering calc), and got a C-. I’m not even sure I deserved that, because I never got a sense of true mastery in most of the topics covered. I then became convinced that, due to my poor education, I would never get back to the glory of doing stellar math with ease. It was really discouraging. I’m realizing now (and your post #2 here really helps) that just because something doesn’t come easy to me doesn’t mean that I can’t do it.
One of the reasons I’m happy about homeschooling is that I get to learn and/or re-learn things that were done poorly in my own education.
Although… this has been sitting on my mind, lately. I even have a friend who is a math teacher — has both a bachelor’s and master’s in math, and will soon be getting her doctorate. IOW, I have a friend who could teach me, could tutor me… But, have I availed myself to her help? No.
(Sorry this is so long.)
This, and other posts you’ve written about self-education has really been a boot to my rear end, and is working to stir me out of my apathetic, “Oh, I’ll learn it when Ethan gets to it” attitude.