Sunday, January 16, 2011
In elementary, one of my favorite school subjects was math. Each year, my school had a math contest, similar to a spelling bee. The contest started with a written test, and the top-scoring students advanced to the oral competition. Each participant stood behind a table with a bell in front of him or her, and when a question was asked, he or she would ring their bell. The first student to ring the bell would be given the opportunity to correctly answer the question. During the initial rounds, the students who scored the most points would advance to the next round. During the final phase, wrong answers resulted in elimination. I have many fond memories of this contest.
After the Kindergarten math contest, I went into my mom's classroom. She was really excited to see I'd placed in the contest. "I'm sorry, Mom," I began sadly. "I only got 1st place. Next year I will do better." I thought since 3rd was a higher number, that would have been the ultimate prize.
In 4th grade, a rival student who was excellent at math thought for sure this would be the year to beat me. When he took 2nd (again), he said, "I can't believe I got beat by a girl!"
It was during the 5th grade math contest that I realized I needed glasses. A few of the oral questions reference equations written on a chalkboard at the opposite end of the room. I couldn't read those questions and missed every one. My mom, who was my 5th grade teacher and knew I knew the answers, thought correctly that I just couldn't see, and I returned in 6th grade sporting glasses.
Another memorable math moment was learning reciprocals in 4th grade. My teacher, Mr. Gagnier, always used a physical demonstration to teach the concept, and since I was the smallest kid in class, I was the one who got flipped upside down.
My love of math continued through junior high and high school but stopped abruptly when I took Calculus AB during my junior year. Suddenly, math lost it's practical application, and I lost my interest. But I'm still happy to solve algebraic equations any day!
After the Kindergarten math contest, I went into my mom's classroom. She was really excited to see I'd placed in the contest. "I'm sorry, Mom," I began sadly. "I only got 1st place. Next year I will do better." I thought since 3rd was a higher number, that would have been the ultimate prize.
In 4th grade, a rival student who was excellent at math thought for sure this would be the year to beat me. When he took 2nd (again), he said, "I can't believe I got beat by a girl!"
It was during the 5th grade math contest that I realized I needed glasses. A few of the oral questions reference equations written on a chalkboard at the opposite end of the room. I couldn't read those questions and missed every one. My mom, who was my 5th grade teacher and knew I knew the answers, thought correctly that I just couldn't see, and I returned in 6th grade sporting glasses.
Another memorable math moment was learning reciprocals in 4th grade. My teacher, Mr. Gagnier, always used a physical demonstration to teach the concept, and since I was the smallest kid in class, I was the one who got flipped upside down.
My love of math continued through junior high and high school but stopped abruptly when I took Calculus AB during my junior year. Suddenly, math lost it's practical application, and I lost my interest. But I'm still happy to solve algebraic equations any day!
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