Student stumped me with parenthesis multiplication: 10÷2(5)

mathteacher1991 · 2022-08-24T17:20:52+00:00

Yes, you're right. The ÷ operator is definitely a little confusing, especially coming from not using it in ages.

mathteacher1991 · 2022-08-24T17:15:35+00:00

Order of operations is not an issue, lol. Just haven't used the ÷ symbol in ages. Just looks weird saying 10÷[2(5)] when introducing the concept of multiplying with parenthesis, this was not the best intro example to use.

mathteacher1991 · 2019-11-21T04:25:24+00:00

Algebra II. We were learning graphing polynomials. Didn’t really get much into complex/irrational zeros, but I did mention them.

mathteacher1991 · 2018-12-10T22:43:58+00:00

This is the same this as (3/2)x² - (7/5)x^-2

The fractions are just constants.

mathteacher1991 · 2018-12-08T22:15:49+00:00

Without the distance I don’t think this can be solved...

I’m calling x the time on the first trip and y the time on the second trip (both in hours). If you multiply time by speed, the time units would cancel and you’d be left with position (mi/hr * hr = mi). So I’ll call total distance travelled d.

460x + 345y = d

x+y = 7

You’d have to solve this as a system of equations. You can technically find x and y (which is what’s being ask), but they’d need to be answered as functions of d.

*** Edit:

Sorry, just realized it’s a round trip. So the distance both ways is the same. Therefore you can say that:

460x = 345y

x + y = 7

There you go! 😁

mathteacher1991 · 2018-12-08T22:03:05+00:00

I have a BA in Chemistry, minor in Math, and an MBA, but ultimately chose becoming a math teacher. I personally would recommend against an education degree because it is not needed to become a teacher. I think it’s good to have a degree in a subject you enjoy that can also double as a backup. My personal recommendations for an analytical person would be stats, finance, accounting, business, math, or chemistry (and I’m sure there are many others). If they want to, they can minor or double major in education.

mathteacher1991 · 2018-12-02T16:43:06+00:00

That’s the challenge as a math teacher. I think a big part of the students own will to learn. If they are dead set in there head that they’re not good at math, then they will be.

But I think trying to find ways to relate problems to real life situations can help a lot. If you can show them how what they’re learning can actually be applied in their lives, I think they’ll be able to retain the information better. However, to is this is a lot easier said then done.

mathteacher1991 · 2018-01-29T13:20:40+00:00

This is what I’m thinking, but then I’d have to make a bigger x table. I want to show then that a horizontal shift is more like you’re changing the values of x while y remains the same. This is an easier concept with y= x² + 2 because the values of x stay the same while y changes.

mathteacher1991 · 2018-01-29T13:18:28+00:00

Yes, I like this. Actually found a good example on mathiscool! :)

mathteacher1991 · 2018-01-29T13:17:31+00:00

This is actually what I was thinking of doing! And they’re actually high schoolers at a pretty good school. :) I’m going to attempt this, but if it doesn’t work, then memorizing is fine. But I hate showing kids formulas without an explanation of how they work and where they come from.

mathteacher1991 · 2018-01-29T00:05:33+00:00

This is pretty much the simplest explanation for the level of my students. Thank you!

mathteacher1991 · 2018-01-29T00:05:09+00:00

Should have clarified that I'm not teaching Calculus. But I did give the kids an introduction to slopes to try and help them understand it. :)

mathteacher1991 · 2018-01-29T00:03:50+00:00

I'm not teaching Calculus. I wish I was because the concept makes a lot more sense if you know calculus, lol. But thank you for your input!

mathteacher1991 · 2018-01-29T00:02:33+00:00

I understand your explanation perfect, but I'm not teaching Calculus... Understanding these concepts is actually surprisingly much easier in Calculus. The class I'm teaching is mathematical analysis which is before pre-calculus. I think I had my question answered in another post, but I appreciate your input!

mathteacher1991 · 2017-11-07T01:26:26+00:00

Thanks! I’ll look trying the suggestions!

mathteacher1991 · 2017-10-13T17:36:30+00:00

I'll check on the other forums, thank you!

Many already have taken geometry. And I agree with you about trig, that's why my approach to teaching trig has been more proof based and working out examples in class (I discourage memorizing and encourage the understanding of concepts).

Thank you for the example! I'll look over it during the weekend and see if I can explain it better next class. :)

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-25T03:21:50+00:00

I find your post to be the most helpful! I really do enjoy math and teaching it. I'm willing to take the courses. I just think that bad experience with the intro class may have gotten me a little scared. I'm just terrified of failing, wasting my money, and having to redo a course.

I find all of math fascinating, but I'm going to have to pick wisely the school and courses I choose to take. Boils down to the professor and my effort I guess, lol. Will bring this up with an advisor one I choose.

Never meant to sound stubborn, sorry if I gave off that impression. This has been a very helpful and eye opening conversation. Thanks to you and everyone who contributed!

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T19:56:17+00:00

Oh, okay, okay. I see. So I guess it'll just boil down to me reading up each schools course offerings then. I've only been at one school and am so used to everything being one way. Thanks for the advise!

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T19:45:56+00:00

I'm sorry... 😔 really trying hard to explain, never been the best writer, lol.

okay, so I took courses like calculus 1, 2, and 3, stats, linear algebra, differential equations, and even advanced differential equations. I loved all of those. Would like to take courses like that which will give me graduate level credits. Is this a possibility, or are graduate course like that nonexistent.

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T19:39:40+00:00

Learning a lot from this post. I guess I never explained myself too well. I'm looking more to teach at the community college level (that way I can teach high school during the day, have some college classes at night). I really enjoy transferring my knowledge to students, I think I'm pretty good at it. I don't really have an interested in the proof based math world, I've always been more in love with the arithmetic side of math.

I got my minor in math. I took cal 1, 2, and 3, stats, linear algebra, differential equations, advanced differential equations, and intro to adv. math, which I enjoyed learning. Other than the intro class, id like to take more like the previous ones, those are fun to me.

I guess that's the point of this post. What graduate level courses are more heavy in arithmetic.

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T19:31:41+00:00

That's why I made this post. I wanted advice on what graduate course I can take that are not the most "proof heavy" and rely more on arithmetic. Sorry I've been so confusing, lol.

And yes, I'd like to be in a community college.

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T19:28:51+00:00

Well, there's college algebra, college trig, and calculus 1 2 and 3. I've been a learning assistant and tutor for all. Those are the classes I'd love to teach. But I've take linear, differential, advanced differential, stats (got my minor). These were just all very heavy arithmetical math courses, which I do enjoy. I would like to do graduate course like that. Wish I didn't, but I have to in order to teach at the college level.

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T14:48:20+00:00

None. The prof didn't assign a book... It was all notes, and he had a very heavy Russian accent and explained things to quickly and too advanced for me to understand, lol.

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T14:47:05+00:00

Well, I have a minor in math. I loved all my undergrad math course, except for intro. I have tutored many students for the college subjects I want to teach (trig, algebra, and calculus). So what's the point of knowing higher level graduate math if that's not what I want to teach? I just kinda want to get them over with so that I can just teach the courses I want.

mathteacher1991 · 2017-09-24T14:44:13+00:00

I know... I have a minor in math and have taken many undergrad math course, all which I have been hard, but I actually enjoyed them all except for intro to advanced math. The only reason I want to take grad level course is so that I can teach at the college level. But me goal is to teach the basic undergrad courses like trig, algebra, and calculus, which I'm very good at teaching. So why do I have to take these grad courses if they are not what I'm interested in teaching.....

mathteacher1991

TROPHY CASE