Now math is racist? what?

[sk47]

Hello; Back in 2001 I was teaching freshman level Physical Science at a small college. After I told the classes they would have to show the work on some problems some complained. One explained as to how she had not had to do math in high school and did not think she ought to in my class. When I suggested she might not be suited for college level work, she got mad. Reported me to the Dean. The dean took my side and even came to the class to tell them about it.

Showing the work is important to show understanding of how the process works. I would give them a page filled with all the needed equations plus a few having nothing to do with anything we studied. I figured in the real world they could look up the equations, but they had to understand which equations to use.

Anyway things worked out. I would stay after all my classes ended on days before the exams. Invited any students to come by so we could review. Turned out over half the classes would show up for the review sessions. I probably would not make it as a college level teacher any more due to my attitude. I am not in favor of give away grades.

Oh, for what it is worth all involved in the dispute with me were of the same race. Some different genders tho.

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[Sivi70980]

There is a relatively simple solution to this issue. Take the students whose testing shows them to be way ahead of the curve and put them in advanced classes. This way the "slower" children
(regardless of race, etc.) have the time to improve and the "faster" students are not held back. Having the advanced students wait two years is just plain stupid.

I thought I gamed the system letting my parents think I was dumb. Being in all the "basic" classes meant I could ef off 3/4 of the year and ace the last 1/4 to get a passing grade. I hated school so much!

 

[Briebee72]

I thought I gamed the system letting my parents think I was dumb. Being in all the "basic" classes meant I could ef off 3/4 of the year and ace the last 1/4 to get a passing grade. I hated school so much!

You and me both. I had a Highschool math teacher that took all our weekly work and made it into one grade at end of 6 weeks period. Then also give us one big test that was like 75% of our grade. So I did nothing during the 6 weeks not a single paper. Then just aced the test and always passed with a c. I detested going to school.

 

[Sivi70980]

You and me both. I had a Highschool math teacher that took all our weekly work and made it into one grade at end of 6 weeks period. Then also give us one big test that was like 75% of our grade. So I did nothing during the 6 weeks not a single paper. Then just aced the test and always passed with a c. I detested going to school.

The downside is my lack of study habits and paper/files saying how awesome I really am. Oh and I only read books that have very little education value unless you want to know about Gandalf or Drizzt or many other sci-fi/fantasy characters. I also know in all my soul that 2+2 is for really reals beyond all doubt 4.

 

[RonsterGT]

In Manitoba we have the 'no kid left behind'.. which basically means, no one fails classes. Basically geared to the indigenous community because they complained schools were geared to accommodate whites. Whatta bunch of BS.

Yeah, I was one of the last generations where students "failed". Graduated high school in '89.
Nobody left behind - Same here in Ontario -everyone passes.

The latest "trend" is "grade inflation"!

Schools are graduating classes where the majority have "honours" but can't cut it at University. There are some universities in Ontario that will actually downgrade students' marks from certain high schools because the students can't cut it:

https://www.narcity.com/en-ca/news/...gh-schools-because-of-this-insane-secret-list

I graduated with a class of 225. 13 of us had honours (80% avg or higher).
Now a class of 225 would have at least 180 with honours. It's silly and demeans the achievement.

 

[Dfeeds]

This is ridiculous but I have always thought that math is a sore spot. It's one of those things that your brain is wired for or not (seems like people good at history suck at math and vise versa). So people who are bad, and also really good, tend to suffer in public education. The former can't keep up without more help (nothing wrong with that) and the latter get bored.

Middle school is the shining example in my life. I wouldn't show work on tests because I didn't have to. That level of math was painfully easy so I had fun solving everything in my head. The teacher accused me of cheating and led with "well if I can't do it in my head then there's no way you can." I basically got punished for challenging myself and that stuck. So when high school rolled along with AP classes, I just f*cked off and was average at best. I hated school. It was boring and anything I did to make it interesting, that went against the grain, was detested. My senior year math teacher caught on, though, and scolded me super hard at the end of the year for wasting my potential.


Always made me wonder how things would have panned out if I had a math teacher, in middle school, like the one I had in high school.

 

[Bikeman315]

I thought I gamed the system letting my parents think I was dumb. Being in all the "basic" classes meant I could ef off 3/4 of the year and ace the last 1/4 to get a passing grade. I hated school so much!

Yah, I tried this. I wasn't stupid but was a rebel (this was the late 60's) and lazy as hell. My grade were so-so. I was dropped from an academic curriculum to a general one. After one semester I had a grade average of 99%. My parents met with my guidance consular and got me back into academic the next semester..

 

[WildHorse]

Graduated high school in '89.

yeah I graduated in 88. I remember I got suspended once for 2 weeks. The principle of my high school personally delivered all the school work I missed 3 days before my suspension was up. He told me, you don't complete and pass with at least 60%, you're not graduating. I never hustled so hard and passed with 93% or something like that. Learned a big lesson in those two weeks. Now the school division would prolly get sued if the same thing happened haha.

 

[sk47]

Yeah, I was one of the last generations where students "failed". Graduated high school in '89.
Nobody left behind - Same here in Ontario -everyone passes.

The latest "trend" is "grade inflation"!

Schools are graduating classes where the majority have "honours" but can't cut it at University. There are some universities in Ontario that will actually downgrade students' marks from certain high schools because the students can't cut it:

https://www.narcity.com/en-ca/news/...gh-schools-because-of-this-insane-secret-list

I graduated with a class of 225. 13 of us had honours (80% avg or higher).
Now a class of 225 would have at least 180 with honours. It's silly and demeans the achievement.

Hello; In one of the public where I taught the principal ordered bumper stickers. The stickers said "My child is an honor student at ______ ______ School". Well I went to some trouble figuring out who was doing the best work in my home room with the plan to award the stickers to those students.
You likely have already guessed that I was sent enough stickers so every student could get one. I complained at the faculty meeting about how wrong and unfair this was to the students actually doing the best and how the "every one gets a trophy" notion was wrong. I lost again.
That was back in the 90's.

 

[mindo389]

While I was teaching in trade school, part of the courses involved mathematics. Things such as algebra and geometry. Nothing that was too hard, yet a bit difficult if not known how to apply it. I always said mathematics is God's perfect game and the key to how the universe works. Perhaps that is part of what's behind these liberals who want to keep people down and dumb. Just my 2 cents...

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

I was doing just fine right up to calculus.

Yep, calc 1 blew my mind.

How far did you guys go? I did Calc 1 over the summer and honestly didn't really learn anything because the class went so fast. I'm so mad because for whatever reason Calc 1 is 5 credits, which is bullshit because every other math class has been 3 or 4 credits. I got a C in it so it tanked my GPA

I stopped at Calc 2. I was already lost through the whole class, but towards the end once we started learned 3D and start doing XYZ stuff I was at my limit. This was me in class
My teacher was a huge dick. I always went to his office hours and he was one of those teachers that wouldn't answer your questions and make you looks stupid because "you should have learned this from the previous class"

I got fucked hard because my last semester the physics department made Calc 3 a pre-req for my next physics class. I was so scared because Calc 3 is basically Calc 2 again but all in 3D.

There was a guy in my physics class who was in the same situation as me. He told me you could glitch the system because even though it was a pre-req you could take them concurrently. I registered for Calc 3 and physics, and then I dropped Calc 3 on the last day to drop
Crisis averted

 

[Briebee72]

My teacher was a huge dick. I always went to his office hours and he was one of those teachers that wouldn't answer your questions and make you looks stupid because "you should have learned this from the previous class"

I had a professor like this, would say IM always here to help my door is always open. you would go to him and he would talk in circles, say you should of learned this in last class, what do you think it is? crap like that and never give any help or even a clue to what he was talking about. you would leave more confused then when you went in for help

 

[RonsterGT]

Hello; In one of the public where I taught the principal ordered bumper stickers. The stickers said "My child is an honor student at ______ ______ School". Well I went to some trouble figuring out who was doing the best work in my home room with the plan to award the stickers to those students.
You likely have already guessed that I was sent enough stickers so every student could get one. I complained at the faculty meeting about how wrong and unfair this was to the students actually doing the best and how the "every one gets a trophy" notion was wrong. I lost again.
That was back in the 90's.

I saw that in the mid 90's here as well. I sponsored a local soccer windup day, and every kid got a gold trophy. I "gently" questioned the concept and the reaction I got was priceless. Basically "everyone's a winner" lol.
I played competitive hockey up to Canadian Major Junior in the WHL, and couldn't comprehend everyone getting gold.
My athletic career taught me gold for winners, 2nd got silver, 3rd got bronze, everyone else got a certificate of participation, and a handshake...
I know one thing - if I need major surgery, I don't want the guy who finished last in his class but got gold anyway lol

 

[Bikeman315]

Perhaps that is part of what's behind these liberals who want to keep people down and dumb. Just my 2 cents...

And you’re entitled to it. Just not here..

Off-Topic Lounge [*** Warning: NO POLITICS ***]

 

[Bikeman315]

I saw that in the mid 90's here as well. I sponsored a local soccer windup day, and every kid got a gold trophy. I "gently" questioned the concept and the reaction I got was priceless. Basically "everyone's a winner" lol.
I played competitive hockey up to Canadian Major Junior in the WHL, and couldn't comprehend everyone getting gold.
My athletic career taught me gold for winners, 2nd got silver, 3rd got bronze, everyone else got a certificate of participation, and a handshake...
I know one thing - if I need major surgery, I don't want the guy who finished last in his class but got gold anyway lol

Nike ran an Olympic’s commercial years ago that I took issue with. I thought it demeaned those athletes that did their best but just not good enough to win gold. Today everyone would win gold. I take issue with that also.

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