A Dearra rant
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85135)
Shingle Springs, California
September 1, 2010 4:04pm CST
I got to hear a full blown Dearra rant this morning. I saw in the newspaper that the school districts were not going to require all 8th graders to take Algebra. Apparently that was last year's failed experiment. Now they determine whether the child is ready first, and only the ones who are ready have to do Algebra in 8th grade.
That started Dearra on a rant about all the torture she had to endure last year for no good reason. She's also ticked about the fact that this year's 8th grade science project has been canceled, because "it puts too much stress on the students". She had to do hers last year right in the middle of her anxiety mess.
Full blown Dearra rants are so much fun. If you're standing back about 6 feet.
She got me back too. She said something to Naomi about something she'd seen online, caught me rolling my eyes, and said "I see you rolling your eyes" just as I was swallowing some pills.
Don't make me laugh when I'm swallowing pills...
Anyway, I'm glad the school district has decided to be more sensible about Algebra, but why did they have to experiment on my kid with the Algebra aversion?
5 people like this
22 responses
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
1 Sep 10
hi dawn I can well understand Dearra's need to rant after what she
went through with the algebra and the science projects last year.
poor kid. well I am also glad that the school district decided to
wait until the kids were ready for Algebra. Truthfully I never did
master algebra. an a student in everything else but not in Algebra.
I guess I had algebra aversion too. yuck
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45597)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Sep 10
Why does anyone do anything?
Because they can.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Sep 10
Awww . . . sorry Dearra had to be a guinea pig. On the flip side, they are things she HAD to do - and she did it. Torturous, maybe ... but fact is, she lived through it . . . big lesson in endurance and blah blah blah. It'll one day be her uphill both ways story!
I personally hated math and I wasn't good at it - it wasn't "logical" to me as everyone who was good at it says it is. That being said, I stupidly went into honors math when I shouldn't have . . . thanks to my elementary school teacher who should have failed me in math, but she gave me an "A" because I was the teachers pet - so I was walking around in denial thinking I was actually smart. I barely passed honors math in 7th, went on to algebra and sucked at it, geometry and failed miserably (but passed with flying colors during an easy summer course), algebra 2 slash Trig in high school barely passing, and I said forget Calculus which was an AP class. I don't know where I'm going with this, but that's my math rant!
1 person likes this
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
1 Sep 10
Poor Dearra, I do sympathise with her over this. There's nothing worse than having certain lessons one year, and not having them the next because you're left thinking, "well, what was the point of that?" This happened with our Spanish lessons years and years ago. Granted, the teacher(s) were rubbish and couldn't control the unruly 3S but that shouldn't give the authorities the excuse that we shouldn't be taught by some new "wet behind the ears" Spanish teacher that we could all ignore for another year, was it?
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
1 Sep 10
I sympathize with her simply because it was Algebra!!!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
1 Sep 10
Is that the one with the brackets?
I've no idea cos Math(s) was not my subject at all. Didn't help when we had sadistic teachers either with no interest in the Dunces like me.
I've no idea cos Math(s) was not my subject at all. Didn't help when we had sadistic teachers either with no interest in the Dunces like me.1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
1 Sep 10
it's the illogical one where they substitute letters for numbers and you have to figure out the number as if a letter could ever be a number...
and yeah they use lots of brackets in Algebra!
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
I can't hide the pills until she's left, we leave together!
@Iequate2 (280)
• United States
2 Sep 10
Hello dawnald,
As a middle school math teacher, I can entertain both sides of the issue.
Many of my eighth graders could not multiply, or solve fractions. These operations are apart of algebra. They understood algebra, but not the basics of mathematics.
On the other hand, I think that all eighth graders should learn algebra, and
pre-algebra in the seventh grade.
The only solution is for elementary teachers, along with the parent's support, to
make certain that the students master fractions, multiplication, and decimals in the early grades.
As far as science projects. I believe that all eighth grade students can, and
should do science projects.
Finally, all students can learn. Some charter schools are teaching sixth graders
algebra concepts. Not to mention, our fellow international students, who study
12 to 14 hours a day six days a week.
:)
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
Hang on a sec. Dawn goes and gets Benadryl for Algebra allergy. :D
I don't think Dearra has any problem comprehending basic math at all. But Algebra is definitely difficult for her. I'm no help either, as it was also difficult for me, not to mention that it's been over 35 years since I took it. Her dad helps, but they butt heads.
Of course, it also didn't help that, not wanting to appear stupid, she refused tutoring, among other things.
But I also don't see the harm in allowing students who aren't mathematically inclined to learn Algebra a year, or even two years, later. Chances are, if they're having difficulty with it in school, that they won't use it once they're out of school anyway.
I agree with you on the science project...
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
Dearra's Algebra teacher last year was very nice.
@Iequate2 (280)
• United States
3 Sep 10
dawnald, I certainly understand all of your concerns. I did major in computer
science. That is where all of my math came from. Then I went into education.
Yes, you ,are correct. If you are not in the field of mathematics, and use
it everyday beyond basics, it is difficult to help others.
I do think however, students who may not be ready for algebra, should still
experience it as early as possible. Algebra in the eighth grade is the same as
algebra in the ninth, and in college Algebra 101.
This is just my opinion and experience from the students that I taught. If I were there, I would be glad help Dearra. Please tell Dearra that having a tutor
does not mean that you are stupid. I worked with 2 tutors when I took Calculus II. yikes
I learned and passed the course. It is okay to have a tutor and work in study groups.
:)
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
4 Sep 10
pft..i'll join dearra on that one.
and as i told the teacher at the time,i DID have no use for algebra!
man..i wish they'd given us the option.i hated that class.
man..i wish they'd given us the option.i hated that class.1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
7 Sep 10
It was optional when I was in high school, and I took it anyway. Silly me.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
She barely passed it... I do think she needs to redo it and get the foundations. She'll probably be fine in Geometry next year (at least I did well in Geometry), but she'll be in trouble in Algebra II if she doesn't.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
2 Sep 10
Really? Algebra in 8th grade? Good lord, that was a highschool subject back when I was in school and that was many moons ago. I know that there might be some kids advanced enough to handle it and that's cool...they should be challenging the more advanced kids.....another subject, well sort of. I kind of understand Dearra's rant because she went thru their trial and error...ok error. I also understand what you are going through in listening to her....ahh...the teen drama. Gotta love it.
1 person likes this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
3 Sep 10
It's like that here...the child is assessed as to if they are ready for Algebra or not in middle school. My youngest is in the 7th grade this year and is in pre algebra...next year..if she does well...she will go into Algebra. The problem with that is that she will also have to take an Algebra class in highschool. Maybe going over what she already knows...I'm not sure. My oldest is in Algebra this year. It is hard on them and I didn't take it until highschool either.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
7 Sep 10
Some kids are good at it, more power to them, but for the ones that aren't, why push them into it earlier!
@gdesjardin (1918)
• United States
2 Sep 10
I need to move my daughter to your school district. She has to take Algebra in 8th grade as well. She is in pre-Algebra this year (she is in 7th grade). She also is required to take a Foreign Language...can you believe that. That started in 6th grade, so this year she is taking the required second year. I mean, I am all for learning a second language....in high school! They need to teach these kids how to speak, spell and write in English first. I think these poor kids now a days are on information overload in the schools. Oh, and yeah, you can't take pills and laugh...what a mess you must have made...lol
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
Dearra started Spanish in 7th grade, but it was optional, and they only offered it to the kids who were already good in English!
No, I somehow managed to keep the pills and water in my mouth until I stopped laughing and could swallow them. It was close though.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
Where I went to school ,they didn't start languages until 9th, and I wish I had started then, I might have learned another language beside German.
@macdingolinger (10386)
• United States
5 Sep 10
WEll, you gotta start somewhere! I am sure someone would be at the disadvantage end of things no matter when they chose to start their "experiment"! I tried to no avail to get my school to offer Algebra to my eighth graders. I felt like they needed that advantage before high school. Oh well, maybe better days will be ahead!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
7 Sep 10
And I'm sure some of them would have done well with it!
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
4 Sep 10
There are always changes in education and though Dearra isn't happy about them, in the long run, her doing a science project and taking algebra in eighth grade may make a big difference in the opportunities that she will have when she moves on to college. I know for me when I was in school I was one of the students that was deemed to be "ready" for algebra in eighth grade and went through high school taking geometry, algebra 2, pre-calculus and then calculus. This helped me a lot in college because the required math course for my major was calculus so aside from the lab work it was a review for me. Tell her to think about things that way.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
7 Sep 10
I'll try, but I think I'll need to be standing behind a shield when I tell her. :D
@Fantasy17 (38)
• United States
2 Sep 10
You got most of it right, MOTHER!! heehee
Actually my sister and I were talking, then she said, "Hey Dearra, wanna know something really weird?"
Then I started acting kind of goofy and said, "You know what Naomi, I don't know, I don't know what's really weird. Why don't you tell me what's really weird?" Or something along those lines. Then my mom rolled her eyes, probably because she's just SOO jealous of my awesomeness, no I'm kidding, probably cause of my goofiness.
But I am pretty mad that I had to go through Algebra in 8th grade, and everyone else, including my brother and sister. Won't have to go through that TORTURE! lucky...
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
Hi there, I see you're home from school. Why not go back to some of your discussions and reply back to the nice people, instead of coming by and correcting mine? lol
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
2 Sep 10
Did they tell all the parents last year that their kids were an experiment?
Ya know, this makes me wonder...what are they teaching the kids that they can't do algebra in 8th grade? I recall doing algebra in middle school and I know by 9th grade we were taking Advanced Algebra.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
Naw they didn't tell us squat, just put her in the class. Though we did have the opportunity to move her to an easier class mid-year, and she chose not to.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
2 Sep 10
Wow! I tok Pre Algebra in the 8th and then th real thing in the 9th. It was fun! I loved it. Besides one year my algebra teacher was HOT!!!.Is it really funny when Dearra is That Pi$$ed off? I have a temper and if I found out my mom thought it was funny I would have goten angrier . I fact I think I would be in jail now.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
Oh if she were genuinely angry I wouldn't DARE laugh. But it was more of a funny rant...
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
It's no big deal, but maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
You can't make a child be brilliant at anything...
@vandana7 (98995)
• India
2 Sep 10
I think it should have been truly a Dearra rant. She is not coming to myLot anymore?
Anyway, 6 feet back is it? LOL.
Yes - I agree. Kids take so much aversion to it that it becomes difficult to make them like the subject at a later date.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
2 Sep 10
She'll probably be back, but other things have caught her interest more!
