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Wow! The Singapore method looks very effective indeed. I wonder if something else would work. Being an English major, I know that when most people read or write a story, they instantly understand it. There's no need to go back and review or try to memorize the main characters, plot, theme, etc. It all just falls into place, the context reinforcing everything that needs to be learned. Could other subjects, math, science, history, etc. somehow be changed into an interesting story with one-to-one correspondence, i.e. this means this or somehow relates to this, to help facilitate the tedious process of memorizing? A poem would probably work pretty well also.
I don't mind teaching English, but I have other interests as well. Sadly, I was an extremely poor math student. I failed almost every math course I took in high school, but, luckily, I placed in Pre-Calculus, so I didn't have to take remedial math in college I struggled with it, though. I think it was mostly from the lack of solid concrete examples. I was just trying to figure out where to put a bunch of letters and numbers. The university's solution was to drill us to death. I feel like I gained very little knowledge from some of the math courses I took.
Wow! The Singapore method looks very effective indeed. I wonder if something else would work. Being an English major, I know that when most people read or write a story, they instantly understand it. There's no need to go back and review or try to memorize the main characters, plot, theme, etc. It all just falls into place, the context reinforcing everything that needs to be learned. Could other subjects, math, science, history, etc. somehow be changed into an interesting story with one-to-one correspondence, i.e. this means this or somehow relates to this, to help facilitate the tedious process of memorizing? A poem would probably work pretty well also.
I don't mind teaching English, but I have other interests as well. Sadly, I was an extremely poor math student. I failed almost every math course I took in high school, but, luckily, I placed in Pre-Calculus, so I didn't have to take remedial math in college I struggled with it, though. I think it was mostly from the lack of solid concrete examples. I was just trying to figure out where to put a bunch of letters and numbers. The university's solution was to drill us to death. I feel like I gained very little knowledge from some of the math courses I took.
I doubt it. If math could be taught like reading, someone would have figured that one out long ago. Math isn't like reading. There is logic involved.
Personally, I didn't really get math until I took calculus in college. Then math made sense. Of course then we went on to differential equations and we were back to math not making sense anymore . My prof said that you get diffy Q about the 5th year of teaching it.
I know that when most people read or write a story, they instantly understand it.
That's not necessarily so. My husband can read a book cover to cover and can't tell you anything about it when he's done. But, he can do metric-english conversions and decimals to fractions in his head without even thinking. It's just a matter of how your brain processes information. Some people are numbers people and some are better with words. It's the whole right brain, left brain thing.
I'm a junior in high school and I'm about to fail algebra 2, I take the final tomorrow.
I feel for you. When they were passing out "math brains" I was in the next room. Math never made sense to me. I couldn't comprehend what the heck the teachers were talking about. I had a few really lousy math teachers. And my mind wandered in class.
HOWEVER...you have to keep plugging away. You will use math your entire life. Trust me on this. I'm old. Talk to your parents about getting a tutor. I wish I'd had one because my math "skills" are a continuing embarassment.
If you have A's in all your other classes but keep failing all math subjects, have you ever been tested for a learning disorder?
Every hears about reading disorders like dyslexia all the time, as well as expressive-receptive language disorders that affect learning, but few know that mathematics disorder exists as an actual diagnosis.
I used to see a teenager for therapy who was brilliant and did well in all other subjects, but was in special ed (or some study team) for math. I don't know a lot about it though, since this was not related to the reason she presented for therapy. But she had documentation of the testing done, and it's an official DSM-IV diagnosis.
No, I haven't been tested. Would getting tested get me out of having to retake it if it shows I have a disability?
I know that when most people read or write a story, they instantly understand it.
That's not necessarily so. My husband can read a book cover to cover and can't tell you anything about it when he's done. But, he can do metric-english conversions and decimals to fractions in his head without even thinking. It's just a matter of how your brain processes information. Some people are numbers people and some are better with words. It's the whole right brain, left brain thing.
I'm the exact opposite of him. I love to read and I can tell you what happens in a book.
How come in high school when it's obvious where the students' strengths are they still make you take classes like algebra 2? Or physics? Or chemistry? Stuff that most students will never need, and couldn't care less about.
If you got tested, and you are diagnosed with an actual learning disorder, then you have the right to an individualized education plan for math. That might include getting extra help or tutoring, taking a different class, getting more time to take tests, or some other accomodation specific to your needs.
What I saw with people who did poor in math, just didn't practice enough. Since they found it too hard, they gave up quickly and easily. I excelled in math, but even I, had to practice for hours upon hours a day. Much of math is repetitive and the steps are always the same even if the numbers are different.
Trust me, you will never need algebra for anything in real life.
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Pictures with words
Being an English major, I know that when most people read or write a story, they instantly understand it. There's no need to go back and review or try to memorize the main characters, plot, theme, etc. It all just falls into place, the context reinforcing everything that needs to be learned. Could other subjects, math, science, history, etc. somehow be changed into an interesting story with one-to-one correspondence, i.e. this means this or somehow relates to this, to help facilitate the tedious process of memorizing? A poem would probably work pretty well also. 
. My prof said that you get diffy Q about the 5th year of teaching it.
