Caulfield: It's too nice out to stay inside and divide fractions. Mrs. Olsen: Caulfield, it's thunderstorming out. Frazz: That does make a statement about fractions. Caulfield: Sure, but did she grasp it?
Ironic, because where I am, it’s going to thunderstorm all day. The schools get out for summer today, and it feels less like summer than it did 5 weeks ago.
I agree it is easy enough when your older, but I for one had a very hard time with them, as it made no sense to me why you could divide and get a bigger number than before. (I understand now, of course, but it took another year or so)
Dividing by fractions becomes easier when you make change. People who can’t “Divide by 1/4” can somehow manage to know “you didn’t give me enough quarters for the dollar bills I gave you”.
Glad my elementary & high school experience began in 1942. Some students in grade school, Chatham NJ, were children of Bell Labs employees. Science, English, History were fun.
My kids’ elementary school tried something new this year. The 5th grade teachers set up a rotation for math, science, and social studies instruction. The teachers with the most interest and background in each subject were the ones who covered it. It gave the teachers more time to prepare lessons, since they had less subjects to cover. My daughter came home enthusiastically telling me about different cellular structures, the Dust Bowl, and obscure figures from the Revolutionary War. I don’t know if it could work in every school, but I was certainly impressed.
OK — I have to speak up here — I’m generally a fairly tolerant person (which comes in very handy teaching middle school) but there have been comments here about teachers that have really … well, I’m going to scale back down a little. I realize these are generalizations and and not directed at me.However, before anyone criticizes an entire profession, I suggest that you learn a few details. IN FACT — WHY NOT WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES. I have nearly 20 years in teaching middle school students and the vast majority of my colleagues are dedicated and knowledgeable. Of course there are bad teachers — teachers that have no business in the classroom. There are bad police officers, bad circus clowns, bad lawyers and even bad comic strip commentators.Any (OK, most) parents of 13-year-olds know the trials and tribulations of that age. Two decades of that can make one a wee bit snippy.Finally, before anyone thinks teaching is simple, remember that we get a lot of kids with baggage — unspeakable home life, neighborhoods, peer pressure, and the basic teen angst do not make communicating the concept of A2 + B2 = C2 a simple process. I have had many successes: standardized test scores increased an average of 30 points over the last five years. I have also had many frustrations — some with students, some with parents, and some with administrators.It’s all part of the game.Four days of instruction left rant finished
I want to thank everyone for their support. I’ve been dealing with some real knuckleheads (that’s my school time name for them—outside of school the name starts with letter “s”) in both the administrative and student population. The vent served its purpose. I was talking with someone about all the frustrations when I remembered some of the triumphs. It is these that make the job worth while. (Like one of my knuckleheads — one who made me especially crazy — who I later met working at a fast-food outlet. He was being productive, and showed me the picture of his one-year-old daughter. The love in his eyes was dazzling. He was doing the right thing. A year later he was still working there, a true MAN.) — BTW, whenever I ordered a three-piece chicken dinner, I ended up with five ;)Still, I must remind everyone — good teachers give much more than the stereotype ‘sage on the stage’ routine. If you’ve had a negative experience, then I’m sorry, but still strongly urge you to look for the victories. They are much easier to live through.
Elmer Gantry Fudd almost 9 years ago
Of course she didn’t grasp it. She’s just not as special as you two. She’s inferior.
Varnes almost 9 years ago
Even thunderstorms are better than math….
whiteheron almost 9 years ago
Did you go outside? She grasped it.
toahero almost 9 years ago
Ironic, because where I am, it’s going to thunderstorm all day. The schools get out for summer today, and it feels less like summer than it did 5 weeks ago.
toahero almost 9 years ago
StratmanRon almost 9 years ago
Frazz gets way too preachy sometimes, but I do like how he is old-school with the broom and hand tools.
magicwalnut Premium Member almost 9 years ago
….go easy on konakommando…he,s mad because he didn’t grasp it either….
DutchUncle almost 9 years ago
Dividing by fractions becomes easier when you make change. People who can’t “Divide by 1/4” can somehow manage to know “you didn’t give me enough quarters for the dollar bills I gave you”.
Fido (aka Felix Rex) Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Aren’t fractions already divided? Dividing something that is already divided seems redundant to me.
hippogriff almost 9 years ago
comicsssfan: Music is a branch of math. Pythagoras discovered the physics of the octave along with the square hippopotamus.
Banjo Gordy Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Glad my elementary & high school experience began in 1942. Some students in grade school, Chatham NJ, were children of Bell Labs employees. Science, English, History were fun.
Doublejake Premium Member almost 9 years ago
Ewal Doh — I don’t know if you go back and review previous comics, but I just replied to a comment you made on yesterday’s Frazz.
jbarnes almost 9 years ago
My kids’ elementary school tried something new this year. The 5th grade teachers set up a rotation for math, science, and social studies instruction. The teachers with the most interest and background in each subject were the ones who covered it. It gave the teachers more time to prepare lessons, since they had less subjects to cover. My daughter came home enthusiastically telling me about different cellular structures, the Dust Bowl, and obscure figures from the Revolutionary War. I don’t know if it could work in every school, but I was certainly impressed.
Fido (aka Felix Rex) Premium Member almost 9 years ago
To quote Dr. Sheldon Cooper:BAZINGA!
Fido (aka Felix Rex) Premium Member almost 9 years ago
OK — I have to speak up here — I’m generally a fairly tolerant person (which comes in very handy teaching middle school) but there have been comments here about teachers that have really … well, I’m going to scale back down a little. I realize these are generalizations and and not directed at me.However, before anyone criticizes an entire profession, I suggest that you learn a few details. IN FACT — WHY NOT WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES. I have nearly 20 years in teaching middle school students and the vast majority of my colleagues are dedicated and knowledgeable. Of course there are bad teachers — teachers that have no business in the classroom. There are bad police officers, bad circus clowns, bad lawyers and even bad comic strip commentators.Any (OK, most) parents of 13-year-olds know the trials and tribulations of that age. Two decades of that can make one a wee bit snippy.Finally, before anyone thinks teaching is simple, remember that we get a lot of kids with baggage — unspeakable home life, neighborhoods, peer pressure, and the basic teen angst do not make communicating the concept of A2 + B2 = C2 a simple process. I have had many successes: standardized test scores increased an average of 30 points over the last five years. I have also had many frustrations — some with students, some with parents, and some with administrators.It’s all part of the game. Four days of instruction left rant finished
Mary McNeil Premium Member almost 9 years ago
If Caulfield is having trouble with fractions, I can only imagine what will happen when he hits Calculus.
Fido (aka Felix Rex) Premium Member almost 9 years ago
I want to thank everyone for their support. I’ve been dealing with some real knuckleheads (that’s my school time name for them—outside of school the name starts with letter “s”) in both the administrative and student population. The vent served its purpose. I was talking with someone about all the frustrations when I remembered some of the triumphs. It is these that make the job worth while. (Like one of my knuckleheads — one who made me especially crazy — who I later met working at a fast-food outlet. He was being productive, and showed me the picture of his one-year-old daughter. The love in his eyes was dazzling. He was doing the right thing. A year later he was still working there, a true MAN.) — BTW, whenever I ordered a three-piece chicken dinner, I ended up with five ;)Still, I must remind everyone — good teachers give much more than the stereotype ‘sage on the stage’ routine. If you’ve had a negative experience, then I’m sorry, but still strongly urge you to look for the victories. They are much easier to live through.