4Real Forums: sometimes I want to scream!

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High School Years and Beyond
4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond

Topic: sometimes I want to scream!

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Barb.b
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 4:28pm \| IP Logged

I taught my oldest high school math - he's is now in college. At that time thats ALL I did nights: read the lessons and go through the problem sets. Now with dd 16 (5 years younger) - NO WAY will I do that again. Which means our math times together take longer while I try to remember some stuff (each day we grade each problem she did and then read the next lesson)! ARGGGG - why does my brain quickly remember some things and others not - which means when we grade and read the lessons daily - it is taking a ton of time!

Just venting!

Question - those of you who teach high school math (don't outsource or do a d.i.v.e or computer class) - how do you prepare - do you need to go over each lesson every night? We are doing saxon algebra 2 - those who do saxon - how long does it take you and your kids to grade and read the lessons?

Barb

Mackfam
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Joined: April 24 2006
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 5:00pm \| IP Logged

Preparing: I don't. (Edited to add: this is my second trip through Saxon Algebra). I can typically review and talk through something if I need to - and that can be helpful to the student, too. If I did need to prepare, I'd probably sit down with the book for 15 min the night before, identify any confusion/review I needed to do, and then be ready for the next day's lesson.

How long: Depends on how many problems I assign. If a child scores 90% or better on a test they only have to complete odds from a lesson's problem set. In that case, total math time from instruction, problem completion and problems graded -- takes about 2 hours.

If the child has to complete all problems, add a half hour...but in that case, I'm more likely to slow down and assign odds one day and evens the next (taking twice as long to cover the next 5 lessons) because I feel strongly that a day not be taken over completely with math. If too much of the day is spent on Algebra, a child's mind can become mush and it's a recipe for conflict between parent/child.

If you're willing, and you're spending a LONG time on Algebra each day -- read lesson and complete the practice problems one day. Assign, complete, and grade problem set the next day. It takes twice as long to finish the book, but it doesn't topple the day in terms of the daily timeline and concepts will be solid. This doesn't haven't an adverse effect on testing either - I had a child score highly in math after only completing half of Alg 2.

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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19

, ds 16

, ds 11

, dd 8

, and dd 3

Wildflowers and Marbles

Barb.b
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Joined: June 22 2007
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 8:29pm \| IP Logged

Thanks Jen! I really was venting! I think I am very in line with what you say! It just seems that when my mind is struggling with antilogs or something - that time grading and reading the new lesson seems longer then it really is! I'd say - the 2 hour time frame you say is a good average for us too! I think I may look over the solution manual of some of the problems the day before (of even on the weekends) but that is it. We have tended towards 3 lessons per week and are on lesson 119 - she is in 10th grade so I think very much on track.

I think to - at times I let my self get stressed about the responsibility of teaching the math. I wonder if me taking out a problem because I am not getting it is bad. But then I realize that it is a good thing - because I am modeling how to work through something you don't get. Especially the closer she gets to SAT/ACT time. She really has given me no reason to stress.

Thank you so much Jen for putting it back into perspective. You have said things that I myself have said to others!!!
Barb

Mackfam
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Joined: April 24 2006
Location: Alabama
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Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 8:57pm \| IP Logged

I get the vent - I do! Lessons can get L-O-N-G!

You're right though - she's doing great - especially at lesson 119!!

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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19

, ds 16

, ds 11

, dd 8

, and dd 3

Wildflowers and Marbles

Kristie 4
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Joined: June 20 2006
Location: Canada
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Posts: 1508

Posted: Nov 21 2013 at 9:49pm \| IP Logged

My daughter self taught from Foerster's and Jacobs with the help of the Math Without Borders cds. Now that she is in freshman calculus at the university she claims one of her big advantages is that she CAN self-teach! I was a math student in university, but pre-calc gets rusty without use- when she stumbled on problems she didn't have the patience for me to wrap my head around it so she plugged away to work it out. Now math is definitely her thing, but she still thinks she learned a lot from working through it!

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Kristie in Canada
Mom to 3 boys and one spunky princess!!

A Walk in the Woods

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