Tuesday and Again with The Math

I'm up early and in the kitchen. 0500 hrs. and I'm fixing lunch for Carrie. Shrimp Alfredo, some crackers and some Fruit Loops along with an Apple juice drink is crammed into her small lunch satchel. It will soon be time to collect her and we will share a ride to Ernest Gallet, the elementary school she attends.

Some hours later: I'm sitting in my usual chair at Mrs. Steven's desk. I have my red pen and my pencil and my scratch paper and I'm ready for my math lesson. I'm surrounded by 5th graders, who I fear know much more about this subject then I know.

The lesson begins and again my attention doesn't waiver. I am making a supreme effort to be attentive to this class then I was some 50 yrs. ago when I sat in a  5th grade math class.  Oh, but to only revisit that time and been more concerned with what those educators  were trying to  present to me. I'm embarrassed at my lack of motivation those many years ago.

Devisor, dividend and quotient. That's the language of math and the language we speak in class.  We are learning to divide using two numbers as our devisor. Sound simple? I thought so too. My way of finding the devisor was haphazard and a "guesstimate". I've learned to "round" the devisor and do multiples of the rounded devisor to find the quotient! I'm excited and impressed. My instructor says this is the way she learned to find the quotient. I don't remember how I was taught and evidently if taught this way, I didn't "get it". I can't estimate the age of this math instructor, mainly because I'm just not good at guessing anyone's age. I know she is a grandmother and her daughter looks to be in her late twenties or early thirties AND she taught Teddy (the grandson) years ago when he was in the 5th grade. Teddy is now 23 yrs. old so that should give me some clue as to her age. My main point about wondering about her age is the method used with her by her teachers. Maybe my teachers taught the same way as hers but I just didn't pay attention.

I'm learning math again and possibly for the first time! I'm enjoying myself immensely and who would have thought that I would ever say that about math??

Soon Carrie will be home and it will be time to do math homework. I'm ready. I hope she is.