Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Solving for x


After the Christmas school break, some changes were made in our co-op that require me to do more teaching. I am now the official Algebra I teacher. It feels good to stretch my brain wayyy back twenty years, and remember the challenge of solving for the unknown. I wish more of my life were like that, actually. How satisfying would it be to have a dilema arise, and all you have to do is place that variable in an equation, using the known quantities, and and with a few axioms, ta-da! a solution!

So, this new teaching challenge is actually quite a blessing, as I get to spend some more time with my oldest son, while reminding myself to organize my thoughts in a consistant, orderly fashion. That can't be bad! The other student I teach is a pleasure, and I am supervising 4 other students at various levels of junior high math levels. I found myself saying over and over, "You must tighten up your knowledge of the basics, the multiplication tables, and if you can do that everything else will fall into place." Once again, I wish my life were more like that ~ a clear knowledge of what I need to do, what basics to focus on to sharpen up the ragged edges of my life. I am getting a sense that God is trying to tell me something here, and if I just keep listening, many of my frustrations will be lessened, and much of my fuzziness will be made clear. Speak, O Lord, Your servant listens!

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I sure understand the wish for life and God's will to be as simple to discern as math! I've thought that quite often when teaching the subject.

January 16, 2007  
Blogger Mimi said...

Ok, teaching algebra is the stuff my nightmares are made of! What a blessing for you, I'm so impressed.

January 16, 2007  
Blogger owenswain said...

Better you than me. I'm still working on 2 plus three minus 1 equals something. I could probably draw it though.

January 16, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Trying to regain some focus here as well... I am such a Raggedy Ann that it might take me a little while! *LOL*

Glad you are enjoying teaching! :o)

January 17, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wouldn't that be nice? Amy plus head cold divided by four little girls equals head explosion over X. Solve for X. :) I wish!

January 17, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Will you come to Bloomington to help us?!!! ;) We have a Momma who says she'll help us, but she has so many. Maybe next year at co-op I can talk her into it, but she is helping us with Speech right now and she's great! Don't want to overwhelm her! The kids are really coming out of their shells in Speech class...Yeah!
Anyway, I admire you...I am so bad in Algebra, but I am doing better with the help of solutions manuals so I can see slowly step by step...in. by in....equation by equation! Ha! Back in 10th grade Algebra, as bad as I did, would have thought that I'd be helping my own children struggle through this...its been pretty interesting, let me tell you, but they seem to grab on better and quicker than I did at the same age..must be the one on one time in slow motion..ya think? Suzanne
SincerelyMyThoughts

January 17, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello,again! Yes! We have D.I.V.E. for my daughter for Algebra I and it has helped, but she still doesn't like to sit down and do it. Shane, my son is in Algebra 1/2 and he is picking up most everything well...THUS FAR.
He may end up doing fine...never know, but until he has some real struggle, I will just continue depending on his solutions manual and his siter and dad's assistance.
He is mainly having problems with area right now...hates it...thank goodness they don't touch on area too much yet...the other he does well. I highly recommend D.I.V.E.
too! Thanks so much. Suzanne

January 17, 2007  

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