But, I have seen her posting here since she was a grad student working as an
adjunct in several dofferent CC's while finishing her degree. I feel I can
state with complete confidence that her comment "GET OVER IT" was not meant
the way you took it. (Although it is very reasonable for you to interpret
it that way, just reading her post.) I'm confident her remark was not
directed at people who, like you, did get over it with the help of a caring
math instructor. (I'm also sure Karen is one of those caring math
instructors who helps students every semester to GET OVER IT.)
Undoubtably her comment was directed at students who somehow think that if
life puts a challenge in front of them they have the right to tell someone
else to move it; they sure don't have to do anything. Remember, the
discussion was in the comment of people asking for a waiver to graduate with
an AA because they couldn't pass an intermediate algebra class.
Isn't e-mail wonderful? Think how long it would have taken for so many
people to share so many great ideas from so many different perspectives in
such a short time if we ahd to go back to the "dark ages." :-)
Bret
At 02:59 AM 10/3/98 EDT, DustyGrigg@aol.com wrote:
>Hi Karen!
>
>I just need to comment on your comment regarding a previous comment:
>---------------------------------------------------------
>Previous Comment: "The reasons the students have given for the
>committees that I have been on have basically been "math anxiety."
>---------------------------------------------------------
>
>Your Comment: "Then they should be told to GET OVER IT if they want to
>graduate from college.
>---------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>I feel that your comment that people experiencing math anxiety should be told
>to "GET OVER IT if they want to graduate from college" ... Is quite harsh and
>unfeeling!
>
>I am a person who previously experienced an extremely high degree of math
>anxiety! Had I been told "GET OVER IT if you want to graduate from college"
>... I would not have gotten over it nor would I have graduated from a two-year
>educational institution, let alone graduating from a four year educational
>institution and also it's teaching credential program! Had I been told "GET
>OVER IT if you want to graduate from college" ... I don't know where I'd be or
>what I would be doing today!
>
>Karen - I did get over my math anxiety ... with the help of a very
>knowledgeable and patient math teacher whom I had after I barely passed
>Intermediate Algebra, at a community college. This math teacher dissolved my
>math anxiety in less than one semester!
>
>Perhaps you may think my anxiety wasn't so great - if it only took less than
>one semester for a teacher to dissolve it! Yet that's not true by any means.
>My math anxiety began 27 years earlier and was caused by the teacher I had for
>geometry in 10th grade! (That's another story!)
>
>The teacher that dissolved my 27 year old math anxiety in less than a semester
>... also inspired me to continue on with math and to eventually teach it
>myself!
>
>Karen - I can appreciate your concerns about colleges which do issue math
>requirement waivers. Yet people who experience math anxiety DO NOT NEED TO BE
>TOLD:
>
>"GET OVER IT if you want to graduate from college"
>
>Rather - they need at least one knowledge and patient teacher to help them
>dissolve and over-come their anxiety!
>
>Can you be such a teacher to your students who experience math anxiety???????
>
> Dusty
>
>
>
>
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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