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| Our group of 9 (and a friend) gathering grapes at our friend Kymberly's house |
Like I'm super, super bad.
I once took a test in high school that I scored a zero on. Seriously. I took the test and got a zero.
In all actuality, that may have been a gift from God because it was after that test that my Dad asked John to tutor me in math and the rest they say is history.
(I wasn't actually that good at history either.)
But in college, I took on a different attitude. My boyfriend was far away. I didn't want to get involved in parties. So I threw myself into my studies. While I wasn't naturally good at school (outside of writing), I studied really hard. I never got anything but an A or B in college and finished with a 3.8GPA and was named the female scholar athlete of the year for Western Kentucky University.
Early on in college, I took a placement test for math. When it came back that I was supposed to take the remedial (don't-get-a-credit class), my advisor kindly said she'd ignore the test and bump me up to the next level. She knew that I studied hard. I would work hard. I'd be fine.
But even though I worked hard, the core of me was bad at math. And not great at school in general.
Fast forward two decades. Maybe close to three decades.
Now I'm teaching my kids and cousin's kids math. Middle school math mind you.
Today, Ana asked me for help subtracting a fraction from a whole number.
Without even thinking about it, I said: "Well, I think you put the whole number over the number 1."
Where did that come from? I mean, I haven't subtracted a fraction from a whole number, like, in 25 years ... but somehow, the learning is IN there. My brain retained it from all those years ago.
Maybe I don't totally stink at math.
Gabe asked for help with some parenthesis problem, and without missing a beat I went to please excuse my dear aunt sally.
I knew that!
And it isn't just the stuff I realize I still know that makes me love homeschooling. I also get to learn all kinds of new stuff with our kids. As they bring up a concept, I get to learn it with them. Or I get to be refreshed on something that isn't with me anymore. My brain is learning again too!
I don't want to be a homeschool Mama truly. I wish it could be another way many days. But because of our lifestyle and location this is what the Lord has called me to.
And so I chug along!
1 comment:
Two words: Khan Academy. It's an online classroom, so to speak. I was so-so at math. Never did understand fractions, but did well in geometry and algebra (our math placement test in jr. high put me in honors math for H.S. I believe they mixed up my test with someone else's). When the boys had questions with math, I would just watch the Khan Academy video on the concept. It made so much more sense to me now and I was able to help the boys get through grade school. After their freshmen year I told the boys that they are now on their own. They have surpassed my abilities.
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