Current Events > ...sigh, trying to teach this girl at work basic algebra so she can get her GED

(+) Yeah! (+)

This new girl(36) at my part time work was talking about her upcoming GED test and how she has always struggled with math. I, being a sucker, offer to help since shes really nice and seems really excited about passing and graduating. I look up a sample question and begin to work with her on,

36x-8y^2 if x=3 and y=(-6)

ok not too bad I can explain this.

Then I realize this chick was never taught unknown values. Ok well start with really basic stuff.

x-3=6

...it took her almost 45 minutes and several examples for her to begin to grasp how to solve for x and check the answer.

I feel fucking bad because she was genuinely putting in effort to understand but she just couldn't and was even messing up single digit addition and subtraction.

I think im in over my head :(

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:(

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Give her easier ones to understand what "x" means.

2+4 = x (6)
Then;
x+4 = 6

First ones shows her X is just a missing number, and can see how the formula works. Second one is the same question, but x is a different spot, so it can be easier to see how it works.

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Are you secretly doing this to get laid? Be honest...

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I've known tons of people in management who can't do simple math. She'll fit right in.

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Whenever sigma rolls up, my brain always shits itself and dies for some reason

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People are bad at explaining things.

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SolidShadow3 posted...

Give her easier ones to understand what "x" means.

2+4 = x (6)
Then;
x+4 = 6

First ones shows her X is just a missing number, and can see how the formula works. Second one is the same question, but x is a different spot, so it can be easier to see how it works.

Awesome thank you.

I tried explaining that all a letter signifies is a number that we don't yet know. A placeholder. Your way is much better since maybe she can see its the same thing in a different order.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I mean she's a bit whimsical but yeah shes not mentally deficient in any apparent way. Sucks because she wants to pass so bad but struggles so much.

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i shutter to think how bad it will be when we have a generation of adults who grew up on Obama's common core math
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Jiggy101011 posted...

Are you secretly doing this to get laid? Be honest...

I wonder if she calls him senpai...

Philoktetes posted...

i shutter to think how bad it will be when we have a generation of adults who grew up on Obama's common core math

can't be worse than your english

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I struggle with any math past addition, sub, mult and div

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Awesome posted...

I struggle with any math past addition, sub, mult and div

It's ok I don't look down on her or anyone else who doesn't understand it as easily as others do. I want her to succeed. I just wish i knew a way to explain it so maybe it comes easier to her.

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Blue_School posted...

It's ok I don't look down on her or anyone else who doesn't understand it as easily as others do. I want her to succeed. I just wish i knew a way to explain it so maybe it comes easier to her.

truth is some people cant understand numbers no matter what, it doesnt mean they have brain issues though. Everybody is built differently.

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Awesome posted...

truth is some people cant understand numbers no matter what, it doesnt mean they have brain issues though. Everybody is built differently.

I completely agree, she is completely normal and a joy to work with. Just when it comes to math she struggles.

If you're really someone who struggles with math is there anyway you can explain what makes it so hard? Or is that just the way it seems to be?

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Awesome posted...

truth is some people cant understand numbers no matter what, it doesnt mean they have brain issues though. Everybody is built differently.

I don't really believe that. True that people have a wide variety of innate mathematical ability, but natural talent isn't everything. The problem is that everyone has little Swiss cheese holes in their knowledge, even math prodigies, and if they happen to miss certain things (like basic algebra) early on, then they're not given the chance to catch up later and are told that they "aren't math people".

TC, I guarantee that it will get easier as she learns more. It's frustrating, but that's the reality of teaching.

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Putting algebra on the GED feels a bit spiteful. I mean, it's pretty clear if you're getting your GED you're probably not going to ever need to use algebra.

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brokenfingers posted...

Putting algebra on the GED feels a bit spiteful. I mean, it's pretty clear if you're getting your GED you're probably not going to ever need to use algebra.

oof

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brokenfingers posted...

I mean, it's pretty clear if you're getting your GED you're probably not going to ever need to use algebra.

You can go to college and continue your education after getting a GED...

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Philoktetes posted...

i shutter to think how bad it will be when we have a generation of adults who grew up on Obama's common core math

How the hell was this shit supposed to simplify math when it massively overcomplicates it. If we'd have had common core math all along, Einstein would have died a drunk with no accomplishments to his name.

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Cheese_Crackers posted...

I don't really believe that. True that people have a wide variety of innate mathematical ability, but natural talent isn't everything. The problem is that everyone has little Swiss cheese holes in their knowledge, even math prodigies, and if they happen to miss certain things (like basic algebra) early on, then they're not given the chance to catch up later and are told that they "aren't math people".

TC, I guarantee that it will get easier as she learns more. It's frustrating, but that's the reality of teaching.

Yeah I tried explaining that to her because she was saying she just can't do it. Shes not dumb she just hasnt learned the basics to build upon yet.

I used the analogy of a playing card pyramid. You need to build solid base triangles otherwise you cant build more on top.

It really was hard for her though she was having trouble with even 6x3 even though I was drawing out blocks with dots in them to represent grouping :(

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brokenfingers posted...

How the hell was this shit supposed to simplify math when it massively overcomplicates it. If we'd have had common core math all along, Einstein would have died a drunk with no accomplishments to his name.

Einstein developed his own means of solving problems such as the navier stokes equation for fluid mechanics. Einstein notation is so elegant. He developed it at 15 years old. I was 22 when I learned it.

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brokenfingers posted...

How the hell was this shit supposed to simplify math when it massively overcomplicates it. If we'd have had common core math all along, Einstein would have died a drunk with no accomplishments to his name.

I don't know what common core math is, but I'll just say that every time education boards decide to change the way that math is done (which happens more than any other subject for some reason), people that learned it a different way are shocked and appalled.

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i'm great at math, but the idea of trying to teach it to other people scares me. hell, i cant even remember the correct way to do long division by hand, easier to just do in my head.

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brokenfingers posted...

How the hell was this shit supposed to simplify math when it massively overcomplicates it. If we'd have had common core math all along, Einstein would have died a drunk with no accomplishments to his name.

i wasn't aware einstein went to school in america

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The_Creep_2020 posted...

Whenever sigma rolls up, my brain always shits itself and dies for some reason

well he did kill zero and almost killed x

Cheese_Crackers posted...

I don't know what common core math is, but I'll just say that every time education boards decide to change the way that math is done (which happens more than any other subject for some reason), people that learned it a different way are shocked and appalled.

i had to have it explained to me a while back, its just a weird way of writing out math solutions that's supposed to model how most learn to eventually do it in their head.

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monkmith posted...

i'm great at math, but the idea of trying to teach it to other people scares me. hell, i cant even remember the correct way to do long division by hand, easier to just do in my head.

It's definitely a separate skill to math itself. You need to understand things at a higher level than that which you're trying to teach if you want to be a good teacher. And it's really hellish if you want to teach a classroom of kids at once.

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Choco posted...

i wasn't aware einstein went to school in america

Well, he did teach physics in America at the University level.

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Choco posted...

i wasn't aware einstein went to school in america

yeah, and he failed math three times
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C7D posted...

Well, he did teach physics in America at the University level.

And the name of that University? Albert Einstein.

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Cheese_Crackers posted...

And the name of that University? Albert Einstein.

Several lectures were taught at Princeton.

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C7D posted...

Several lectures were taught at Princeton.

I was memeing with my other post, but I remember learning that he was never fluent in English, so a lot of his American talks weren't well received.

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Cheese_Crackers posted...

It's definitely a separate skill to math itself. You need to understand things at a higher level than that which you're trying to teach if you want to be a good teacher. And it's really hellish if you want to teach a classroom of kids at once.

I was struggling to explain why something like 4-(-2)=6

Like I understand it as a rule but I couldn't explain as a concept that subtracting a negative integer from a positive creates a larger positive integer.

My only thought was maybe I should have used a number line?

Then I felt worse because telling someone "thats just how it is" is a terrible example of trying to teach.

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Cheese_Crackers posted...

I was memeing with my other post, but I remember learning that he was never fluent in English, so a lot of his American talks weren't well received.

my college calculus courses were taught by an old professor who only spoke mandarin, that isn't much of an issue.

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Blue_School posted...

Like I understand it as a rule but I couldn't explain as a concept that subtracting a negative integer from a positive creates a larger positive integer.

less negativity = more positivity
less debt means you have more money

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Cheese_Crackers posted...

brokenfingers posted...

How the hell was this shit supposed to simplify math when it massively overcomplicates it. If we'd have had common core math all along, Einstein would have died a drunk with no accomplishments to his name.

I don't know what common core math is, but I'll just say that every time education boards decide to change the way that math is done (which happens more than any other subject for some reason), people that learned it a different way are shocked and appalled.

Which I dont understand. People bitch about our education system lagging behind other countries but when they try to change it people are outraged that it isn't the same way they were taught and it's unnecessarily difficult. God forbid we try to raise our standards a bit
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Choco posted...

less negativity = more positivity
less debt means you have more money

God damnit. It seems so simple once it's explained.
Thank you, heres a cow gif bc if i remember right you like cows.

https://gfycat.com/querulousvigilantduckbillcat

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C7D posted...

brokenfingers posted...

How the hell was this shit supposed to simplify math when it massively overcomplicates it. If we'd have had common core math all along, Einstein would have died a drunk with no accomplishments to his name.

Einstein developed his own means of solving problems such as the navier stokes equation for fluid mechanics. Einstein notation is so elegant. He developed it at 15 years old. I was 22 when I learned it.

The whole point of the Navier Stokes Equation is that it hasn't been solved (apart from some edge cases). That said, Einstein notation is great
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Some peoples brains just cant comprehend math

these are the same people that vote for trump and refuse to wear masks

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gna647 posted...

Some peoples brains just cant comprehend math

these are the same people that vote for trump and refuse to wear masks

She has a Guatemalan husband and sympathizes with the plight of illegal immigrants and expresses numerous progressive ideas. one of the reasons we get along.

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teepan95 posted...

The whole point of the Navier Stokes Equation is that it hasn't been solved (apart from some edge cases). That said, Einstein notation is great

Sure, that's why you limit what you need to what's most important and simplify the other stuff. Lots of research goes into getting better at numerical solutions.

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C7D posted...

teepan95 posted...

The whole point of the Navier Stokes Equation is that it hasn't been solved (apart from some edge cases). That said, Einstein notation is great

Sure, that's why you limit what you need to what's most important and simplify the other stuff. Lots of research goes into getting better at numerical solutions.

I know, lol. My last exam was all about finding numerical solutions to the Navier Stokes equations (and similar ones)
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Blue_School posted...

God damnit. It seems so simple once it's explained.
Thank you, heres a cow gif bc if i remember right you like cows.

https://gfycat.com/querulousvigilantduckbillcat

omg ily <3
my 5th grade math teacher always used that debt example

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stop taking the troll seriously
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