A blog prompt I read is “Did you ever wear clothing with the tags still on out in public?” Yes, I have and on one occasion it was in my math class and of course a cute guy was there and of course he saw it and I felt like an idiot.
But instead of enthralling you with that gem of a story, I’ll tell you about the teacher of that class.
The Advanced Math Class
I for some unknown reason had been tested and was placed in an advanced math class in high school.
I’m convinced it was a prank because math was always my worst subject. I told the teacher that I was lost and she responded that I had tested and placed in the class.
Trying, Trying
The school allowed tutoring before classes and I would go in early for extra help. It was difficult, but I gave it my best. I struggled and she saw that I was trying. I went to her and asked her if I could bump down to a lower level basic math class. She signed the paperwork and I got in the lower class and although I might have struggled it was easier and less stressful. Why was she a good math teacher? She saw that I had tried and put forth the effort and didn’t push this square to be in a circle.
You Find the Best Way
My next best math teacher was the one I had in college. When I took the test for the college classes, the school said I needed make-up math to get to the right level for my classes. Of course, I agreed. It’s math, I knew I wouldn’t have aced the test.
This math teacher, we’ll call him Mr. G, was a surveyor by trade. He believed that there were several ways to work a math problem. He would show you two or three different ways. You were encouraged to find the one that worked best for you. If you attempted every math problem and wrote out how you tried to solve it, you would get partial credit for attempting. Just by trying you would get points. He would also show you what you did wrong on all homework and tests. I took his classes for two years and I think it was the best I had ever done in a math class. He appreciated that not everyone learned the same way and I think his classes appreciated his teaching methods.
Continuing to Teach
He died several years ago and I was sad to hear it. I also learned that he had donated his body to science. That is so fitting for him. He was going to keep on teaching and helping students even though he was gone.
