Misunderstandings
By paigea
@paigea (35629)
Canada
October 26, 2016 7:16pm CST
At recess a grade three student told me she loved math. I told her that my mother loved math so much that after she finished studying to be a teacher (4 years), she continued studying just mathematics for 2 more years.
I told the student that my mother then became a math teacher and she got to teach math all day. The little girl's eyes literally lit up!
She said, "You mean her class got to study Math all day and they didn't have to do any Social Studies or Language Arts?" She was almost ecstatic at the idea of being in a class like that.
I had to burst that bubble and explain that while my mother got to teach math all day, it was to different classes and that the students still had to study every subject. She put her head down and said, "Oh."
It makes me wonder how many other misunderstandings are happening with children that don't get cleared up with a one to one conversation.
29 people like this
27 responses
@marguicha (215148)
• Chile
27 Oct 16
I would have loved to be able to skip Chemistry and Physics at school! I can understand that little girl even now.
2 people like this
@paigea (35629)
• Canada
27 Oct 16
@marguicha Yes, this all changes many times as we mature. I didn't want 25 children of my own, but I always wanted to have an orphanage like Jo in Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott.
2 people like this
@shaggin (71655)
• United States
7 Nov 16
How wonderfol though that this student enjoys math so much though! I HATE math.
@sissy15 (12269)
• United States
29 Oct 16
Well, kids are very literal and don't fully understand what different careers and things take. They don't understand why we have a certain system, so I'm sure there are a lot of misunderstandings with kids. I know with my son there are. I am constantly trying to explain things so he understands. Also as a side note, I hate math lol.
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
2 Nov 16
Aww that literally girl really loves her math. 
But I think there are lots of misunderstandings here/there too.
But I think there are lots of misunderstandings here/there too.@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
3 Nov 16
@paigea Yep misunderstands are pretty common.
1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
27 Oct 16
My daughter takes after her dad and she loves math! She's great at it. I hate math unlike her. Lol
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15730)
• Canada
3 Jan 17
lol... poor little kid lol... if only we could study what interests us!!
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
27 Oct 16
They take things literally and sometimes it's a shame adults don't LOL
@paigea (35629)
• Canada
27 Oct 16
@AbbyGreenhill mine too once I got to high school
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
27 Oct 16
Poor kid, I loved math like that too
1 person likes this
@marsha32 (6631)
• United States
8 Nov 16
Could be nice though if they got to study the one subject that interests them the most. I can understand her misunderstanding not knowing how junior high and high school works.
@nonersays (3329)
• United States
30 Oct 16
Children do have their own way of understanding things.
Too bad her dream of an all math school went out the window. lol
@epiffanie (11326)
• Australia
30 Oct 16
It''s good for children to ask questions and adults need to encourage that... when I was a child , I had so many questions but all I can hear from adults say, "you'll find out when you grow up" ... May my questions were not as easy as that student who loves math so much...
@MarshaMusselman (38616)
• Midland, Michigan
3 Nov 16
The answer is simple and you already guessed it, it's 'many', lol. Not only are there misunderstandings galore between teacher and student, but in any relationship. Most people do not ask the right questions when something is said and assume one thing is meant when often that could be far from the truth.
After twenty-eight years of marriage I'm still trying to get my husband to ask when it sounds like I said something questionable in some way to his understanding. He has the habit of mentioning whatever it was six months later when I can't make plain my statement.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
28 Oct 16
You gave her an idea, she might be a math teacher when she grows up. Obviously she loves the subject. She probably would make a good one.
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
18 Nov 16
Oh good, there is a shortage of maths students at colleges... she will have a bright future if she keeps this leaning
