Math Poem

The Higher Mathematics

Songs of Education: G.K. Chesterton

Form 339125, Sub-Section M

Twice one is two,Twice two is four,
But twice two is ninety-six if you know the way to score.
Half of two is one,
Half of four is two,
But half of four is forty per cent. if your name is Montagu:
For everything else is on the square
If done by the best quadratics;
And nothing is low in High Finance
Or the Higher Mathematics.

A straight line is straight
And a square mile is flat:
But you learn in trigonometrics a trick worth two of that.
Two straight lines
Can't enclose a Space,
But they can enclose a Corner to support the Chosen Race:
For you never know what Dynamics do
With the lower truths of Statics;
And half of two is a touring car
In the Higher Mathematics.

There is a place apart
Beyond the solar ray,
Where parallel straight lines can meet in an unofficial way.
There is a room that holds
The examiner or his clerks,
Where you can square the circle or the man that gives the marks.
Where you hide in the cellar and then look down
On the poets that live in the attics;
For the whole of the house is upside down
In the Higher Mathematics.

Math Problems

Why does math seem to be such a challenge for students of Body of Christ Academy?  And for the teacher, as well?  My math teaching journey is far from over, and I know that I've stumbled along the way, but I hope that when I arrive at the end, the reward will be worth it.
I've studied many different math philosophies or approaches to teaching math.  I've used many different methods to teach a particular concept.  I've used numerous curriculums over the years, and I've come to at least one conclusion:  understanding the language of math is fluid--one student may understand it one day, and not the next.  A student may feel a sense of accomplishment because he 'gets it', or his anger may flare and he may rant and rave that 'this is stupid and I'm not going to do it anymore!' So far, I haven't had a student who said, 'can we do one more lesson, Mom?' But there have been some 'ah-ha' moments as the light goes on and comprehension reigns over a concept.
I am enjoying teaching math this year.  It's my second time (really my third if you count my own high school math experience) through Geometry and my third time teaching Algebra I.  I can't say that my students enjoy it, but I feel more confident as a teacher that they are learning, slowly but surely.  I hope my confidence will seep into their consciences so they can see that math isn't awful, and may even be fun at times.
I know I am not teaching math geniuses, but the logic and order of math seems to appeal to me and my students. We can see logically the how and why of math.  It's like making sense of a foreign language. As I reminded one of my students today, math brings order and logic to what would be chaos without it.  God is a God of math; He gave us math as a gift.  We should be thankful for this gift (at this point, eyes are rolling at me with expressions of 'oh brother, mom!').  Being thankful for the 'discipline' of math would be a reward this teacher sees as a worthy goal for her students to attain.

Quote of the week

Here's the quote of the week from Body of Christ Academy:

The geometry student, as she looks through her reading assignment in Geometry, bemoans to her teacher:
"I thought you said I don't have to understand it!". 

Love Letters

Sept.26,2012

Yesterday was my anniversary.  Not my wedding anniversary, but the anniversary of Bryan and my engagement.   Bryan remembers the date and wishes me a happy anniversary most of the 23 years since we were engaged. My wish from him yesterday was a text message because we were both so busy with the day
As if remembering the date of our engagement wasn't romantic enough, today he sent me a letter holding a memory of the past and a reminder that God sovereignly appoints the person who will become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone.
You know a letter from your husband is going to be a treasure to keep when you begin reading it with a laugh and a smile and end reading it with tears streaming down your face--sweet tears of joy, blessing, and thankfulness.
You know your husband is pouring out his heart  and cares about the condition of yours when he stops periodically in his narrative to tell you to 'be patient,' to remind you that what he just wrote happened 'before I met you', and to prepare you for the gush of love and tears by stating parenthetically, 'Here is where the love note really takes off'.
You know your husband is the one and only man who God has blessed you with when he calls you 'mesmerizingly beautiful'.  He counts the days we have been married (8,152--he actually counted!) as days of great joy because we are together.
I regret to say that the letters Bryan and I wrote to each other when were apart the summer before we were engaged are long gone.  I cherish the notes and letters he sends me now.  I still have a check for a million dollars he wrote to me before we were married that was postmarked 10 years into the future--he wanted to share everything with me--and the check reminds me of his romantic way of telling me.
Now I keep the notes, cards and letters from him, but I don't need a note every day (although we do write to each other almost every day) to know that God's gift to me in my husband is to be treasured as long as we live.