Why Do Americans Stink At Math

[DanOregon]

When you're the best, who needs to know a number beyond #1.

 

[doctorquant]

Sorry to revive, had to vent a bit ...

7th-grader daughter, teacher's dream (very bright, ridiculously conscientious, etc., etc.) comes to me last week to clarify just what an integer is. Turns out her teacher had said such-and-such (or at least daughter thought that's what she said), and your humble correspondent said, "No, you mis-heard her. She wouldn't have said that. An integer is thus-and-such." To which daughter replies, "That's what I thought," and completes homework.

Teacher counts off because daughter has failed to classify as integers ... -2.5 and -2.4. And it's clear teacher thinks these are integers.

YGBFKM

 

[YankeeFan]

Googling integer...

 

[doctorquant]

Teacher's response to my email ...

I think their is a misunderstanding when it comes to the situation. ...

 

[Riptide]

Email that stuff to the principal. See what the reaction is.

 

[LongTimeListener]

She ain't no English teaching, quant.

 

[doctorquant]

She ain't no English teaching, quant.

Kinda torn as to what to do. My email was very non-committal, suggesting that perhaps course materials (e.g., text/pre-printed handouts/etc.) were in error. But the defensiveness of her response -- "I would hope that in the future as a fellow educator you would first contact me with your concern before directly implying that I do not know the material" -- tells me that either A) she really didn't know what she was talking about; or B) she just stumbled and is embarrassed by it. And, sheesh, the teacher's just a kid, not much older than my older daughter.

I'm not going to follow up (just yet), but I am going to pay stricter-than-usual attention to what my daughter's doing in that class. The trick is to pull that off without my daughter noticing. If I see issues continuing, though, I'll have to do something.