We had an exchange conversation with @Jane from my latest article Why The Sea is Salty. We talked about the subjects in school especially Science and Math (Algebra).
Personally, I can only do simple math. Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division. If the topic is getting out of hand, at least for me, I start to lose focus and be stressed out for the rest of the period. Imagine how stressful my journey was at home and at school.
* Mathematics at home
I started schooling at the age of three. My parents sent me to school at that early age and they told me I was adjusting well as time went by.
I remember I used to cry when it's time to do the assignments. I get frustrated and frightened at the same time because of the teaching strategy of my parents.
The sea is calm when I get the right answers on the first parts of assignments but when it gets harder and harder, the sea rises and stormy as if they want to hit me.
When their voices rise, I couldn't think properly anymore because I was busy crying and I lost my focus already.
My mother is a grade one teacher and so she doesn't have enough patience anymore to attend to my mistakes on doing my assignments because she spent all her day at school teaching hard-headed and unruly kids. Basically, she bursts out her emotions to me at home. Poor kid 😆
There was one time my papa taught me this trick on how to multiply using two hands. He said it'll make things easier if you do this trick. However, for a kid who is afraid of Math at all, it just made things worse. He needed that extra mile of patience throughout. It took weeks for me to learn that.
Well, I'm thankful that he taught me about it and these moments were just unforgettable to me.
You had to cry many times first before learning it.
I believe some of you guys have experienced this too. 😅
* Mathematics at School (Grade School)
This is where the adventure begins. This is a crucial phase in human life. As for me, my grade school Math teachers made my childhood so colorful.
My cousins and I were compared with each other's mental math abilities through a math contest. This actually helped though. This is just simple Math only. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide.
Back then, teachers were extra terror and intimidating maybe because the Child-Friendly School system was not yet implemented so the children before were very disciplined to follow orders.
My grade 5 teacher in Math was the most terrifying teacher I ever had. Our Math period was every 1 pm to 1:45 pm. We call it the Holy Hour because it is sleeping time and everyone is quiet.
Everyone is terrified of her. What terrifies us the most was she likes to call us one by one and do board work. You cannot go back to your seat unless you get the correct answer. She's willing to spend the rest of the period to settle the activity 😆
If someone laughs for not getting the right answer, expect for a flying chalk or eraser coming at you. Then, you have 2 situations to face. It's either you sit on the air or you face the wall.
Another one is, she's fond of using flashcards where she only gives us 5 seconds to solve it.
Trust me, you'll end up devastated when you miss an item so there's a higher chance that you miss the following items too.
I went to a public school, the same school my mom is teaching.
* Mathematics at School (High School)
My 1st year and 2nd year in high school were not that terrifying. Our teachers were friendly because they are newly hired so I guess it's inappropriate to show their true colors in their 1st year 😆
To be honest, I take Math subjects for compliance and just to survive day by day. When we feel like the class is busy and not in the mood for the period, we strategize and have a chitchat with our subject teachers until the bell rings. 😆
Or if there is a school activity, and we jump for joy when the activity hits the time period of our Math subjects and so it gets suspended.
On my 3rd year and 4th, that's when the tables have turned. Our teacher in Trigonometry and Statistics was too strict.
She's really not friendly when in class. Everyone was terrified of her.
I even joined extracurricular activities under her advisory just to save my grades in Math. Desperate moments.
All in all, high school life was fun. So many memories to cherish.
* Mathematics at School (College)
I chose I.T as my course because I thought there are minor subjects like Math but then, I was bombarded with a lot of programming subjects and the like.
This was when I learned how to copy my classmate's assignments. I had to do it because teamwork makes the dream work 😆
Really, we had Probability and Statistics, College Algebra, Analytical Geometry and other Math stuff.
Our college professor discusses the topics as if she's being chased by a train. That makes us more hopeless.
I even blamed these Mathematicians why they had to invent such complicated formulas. 🤷♀️
Then again, it's part of the curriculum. We can't just take away these subject as part of the lineup.
So, why are they more terror? Is it a requirement in the profession? Or there is a stigma that the subject alone makes it more terrifying?
How about you? Were you terrified of your Math teachers?
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