For All You Parents…

I wrote this piece about how to help your child in math for Yahoo. This is the same advice I give the parents of my 8th graders during open house every year. I find the parents are often more fearful of algebra than the students:) I thought I’d share it here as well, since IContinue reading “For All You Parents…”

When Am I Ever Gonna Use This?

“When am I ever gonna use this?” As an eighth-grade algebra teacher, I hear this refrain at least once a week. It’s a difficult question to answer. I mean, when is the last time that your employer asked you to factor a polynomial or prove two polygons congruent? The truth is that most of usContinue reading “When Am I Ever Gonna Use This?”

Don’t Practice the Perfect

As an algebra teacher, I spend much of my day pushing kids beyond what they think they are capable.  To no one’s surprise, I am often met with resistance.  They would rather practice addition rather than polynomials.  They want to practice the perfect. In the example of algebra students, it is easy to see theContinue reading “Don’t Practice the Perfect”

Don’t Practice the Perfect

          As an algebra teacher, I spend much of my day pushing kids beyond what they think they are capable.  To no one’s surprise, I am often met with resistance.  They would rather practice addition rather than polynomials.  They want to practice the perfect. In the example of algebra students, itContinue reading “Don’t Practice the Perfect”