remember this kiddies
it's been awhile since i've shared any teaching anecdotes, so believe-it-or-not, something funny happened at work the other day...i was teaching math, more specifically, fractions. while i hated fractions as a kid, i love teaching them because i take it as a challenge to make it fun and memorable for the kids. one mean to this end is that i always like to teach acronyms for those important things you want to remember.
for example, to teach plot elements (Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution) i introduced "Edward Really Acts Clumsy Following After Redheads" and then i have the students come up with their own, which generally speaking, are far more humorous than mine.
so back to the rational numbers lesson. i wanted the students to remember that the numerator is on top and the denominator is on the bottom. long ago, i made up that the numerator was to the north, while the denominator was down on the bottom. that's worked for me for the last 18 years, but one of my students tried to one-up me.
he said, "we were taught that it was Nancy Drew." without hesitating, i offered, "that's great as long as you can always remember that nancy is on top of drew." needless to say, i think the kids will always remember that the numerator is on top of the denominator. and as long as i don't get that angry parent call, i'll have a job through the summer.
posted by kazuhank @ 9:46 AM
3 Comments:
Nice. I really wish you had been my math teacher... although you would have been 13 so maybe not as insightful.
bonika--yes, i think at 13 i was stuffing my math assignments in my desk hoping that they would never return. i wouldn't have even made a good tutor.
Plot elements eh? Never heard of them. Or maybe I did in high school. I have encountered those elements on that sparknotes site. I didn't know it was like an official thing of plot whatevers. Words plus me not good some days.
Post a Comment
<< Home