arithmetic
Member
Hi people 
I'm an experienced and effective teacher of maths - to normal people. But I'm in trouble, I think.
A senior man of my extended family ( I'm Maori) asked me to teach his 15 yr old daughter, because she cannot calculate the change she should receive at the shop. "We know you're brilliant".
Whereas, I know from my own experience that information can NOT be pushed into me, and I imagine that it must be the same for this child.
"Sweetness" has been living overseas with her Mum, who is a professional remedial teacher, for the last few years, and is reported to have made no progress whatever. She does not retain the learning.
My own experience might be relevant. When I was younger I was really driven to succeed in some kind of work. I studied for years to gain professional skills in engineering. I floundered for a long, long time, learning the grammar of mathematics, while not really understanding how saying things in math means something in the real.
There came a moment when the mathematical descriptions of things suddenly clicked with my experience of the real world.
I had had difficulties uniting my understanding of the abstract with my experience of the real. When I clicked, my understanding became grounded and it all began to mean something.
Things "clicked" for me. Are such things ever likely to "click" for our little girl? She will be here in a few days... I'm trying to get ready.
The Big Question:
Does anyone have any advice at all on how I might proceed?
I'd really like to hear from some girls on the forum please please. This little one, whose name is too distinctive to mention, is in real trouble.
I'm an experienced and effective teacher of maths - to normal people. But I'm in trouble, I think.
A senior man of my extended family ( I'm Maori) asked me to teach his 15 yr old daughter, because she cannot calculate the change she should receive at the shop. "We know you're brilliant".
Whereas, I know from my own experience that information can NOT be pushed into me, and I imagine that it must be the same for this child.
"Sweetness" has been living overseas with her Mum, who is a professional remedial teacher, for the last few years, and is reported to have made no progress whatever. She does not retain the learning.
My own experience might be relevant. When I was younger I was really driven to succeed in some kind of work. I studied for years to gain professional skills in engineering. I floundered for a long, long time, learning the grammar of mathematics, while not really understanding how saying things in math means something in the real.
There came a moment when the mathematical descriptions of things suddenly clicked with my experience of the real world.
I had had difficulties uniting my understanding of the abstract with my experience of the real. When I clicked, my understanding became grounded and it all began to mean something.
Things "clicked" for me. Are such things ever likely to "click" for our little girl? She will be here in a few days... I'm trying to get ready.
The Big Question:
Does anyone have any advice at all on how I might proceed?
I'd really like to hear from some girls on the forum please please. This little one, whose name is too distinctive to mention, is in real trouble.
