Thursday, October 18, 2012

Math Smath Even I Could Teach it

The Present at Habitat For Humanity October 18/2012...
Peter, the Project Manager: Any problems with the measurements?
Shelley: Not at all. I was just finishing this measurement.... and this one is...  36 inches and 6/10ths.
Peter: 6/10ths? Well if you look here, you'll see that with inches, there are only 8ths, or 16ths or 32s.
Shelley: (Really?) Whoops! Oh Ha! Ha! Ha! Of course it does. I was thinking in metric. Would you believe that I used to teach math?
Peter: I bet you were AWESOME.


Math Flashback #1...
Shelley: So, Grade 7's, what we have, so far, when we divide 3 by 7 is:

0.428571428571428571428571428571428571428571428571428571428571428571428571428571

(OMG! This division problem has gone the entire width of the blackboard and there is no end in sight. @#$^!!!! I don't think I wrote down the same number I memorized last night when I was preparing... . How do I get out of this?) 
Joe?
Grade 7 class: He's out today Mrs. Smith
 Shelley: (@#$%!!! Out sick today. Hmmm... Going to have to go with Amy, the second best math student in the class.) Amy, what do you think we should do here?
Amy: You should draw a repeating notation, or a line if you will,  above the repeating sequence.
Shelley:(A what?) Very good Amy. That is correct.

And Math Flashback #2... 
The Grade 5 teacher I am going to take over for in one day: Shelley, could you please call over one student at a time and help them review for tomorrow's math quiz?
Shelley: (WHAT?? A MATH QUIZ??? ) Of course. Hey Freddy. Ready for your math quiz tomorrow?
Freddy: Not really. I can't remember the difference between a scalene and an isosceles triangle? Can you help me?
Shelley: (Huh??!!) Not a problem. Why don't we open the book to the geometry section? There we go.... Just one momento....  Hmmm... Aha GOT IT... Freddy, I want you to look closely at the scalene triangle. Describe this triangle to me.



Freddy:... One of the sides is always longer than the other two?
Shelley: Exactly. How many "S's" are there in the word "scalene?"
Freddy: One.
Shelley: So the one "S" in the word "Scalene" means that one side is longer than the others. Does that help you remember?
Freddy: It does! Thanks. But what about the isosceles triangle?
Shelley: Look at the isosceles triangle. Describe it to me.
Freddy: Two sides are equal in length.
Shelley: Correct. And since isosceles has two S's in it's...
Freddy: It's easy to remember. Thanks so much Mrs. Smith. You're an awesome math teacher.
Shelley: Why thank you. Sally? Now what can I do for you?..............  And Sally, since isosceles has two S's in it, it's easy to remember. Got it?
Sally:.... But... Mrs. Smith, doesn't isosceles have three S's in it?
Mrs. Smith: (@#$%!!!!) Not if you cover up the last S with your thumb. Next!

The Present at Habitat For Humanity October 18/2012...
Shelley:... Of course I was awesome Peter...  Here you go John, measured and cut perfectly, 36 and 6/10ths.

Shelley and John