First, I have been reading Karen's posts for several months (a couple of
years I think) and am very confident that she is an outstanding teacher who
cares deeply about her students. Hence my very tongue-in-cheek response to her.
Now, a word about math anixety. I see it every semester. Most of the time
it is a returning student (unfortunately, too many times a recently divorced
woman who is a single parent and trying to develop a "marketable skill").
These people are scared to death of math. They say they were never good at
it, never had the background, and have forgotten what little they ever knew.
But, amazingly, the vast majority of them are hard workers who actually come
to class, take good notes, ask questions, do homework, and study. And, they
succeed. They don't all become math whizzes. They don't all decide to
become mechanical engineers. But (one of the things us teachers live for)
they do come up to me and tell me how much they appreciate finally learning
something about a subject they used to fear, but no longer do.
I also see many cases of "math anxiety" from students fresh out of high
school (male and female, but more often female). They tell me they just
can't take tests and want to do other things to bring their grade up, like
book reports and bulletin boards. They want to do everything except come to
class, take notes, do homework, study, etc. And they blame math anxiety for
their failure.
That second group of students is the one that gives those who actually
suffer from true "math anxiety" or actual learning disabilities a hard time.
We see so many students using math anxiety as an excuse that we have to be
careful not to harden ourselves to the few true cases.
I could tell you about two of my students right now who told me today that
they had a problem - They are too busy to come to class and to do homework,
but they can't drop the course because they have to pass it (And, I need to
understand that they have math anxiety.) - but, I've rambled enough. Thanx!!
Bret Taylor Lake-Sumter Community College Leesburg FL
"It matters not the subject taught, nor all the books on all the shelves.
What matters more, yes most of all, is what the teachers are themselves."
John Wooden
John 3: 3^3 + 3
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