I am a closet math nerd…I was a late bloomer. I had no idea who I really was until I started homeschooling my kids. I suppose maybe I’m not so in the closet anymore as most people who visit inevitably notice my Epsilon of Math calendar and might even be subject to trying a problem or two on a Friday night. Holly’s series on “How Not to Suck at Math” is what led me to read this Substack in the first place. (And for a multitude of reasons, I very grateful for that!)
I was elated when my 11 year old reminded me it was Pi Day, and asked me how many digits of pi I could recite. (For the record, he beat me by going to the eleventh digit. I only know to the eight digit which is probably going to get me kicked out of the math nerds club.)
I hope everyone who reads this Substack will read Holly’s series and share with their kids. One thing I learned from homeschooling is that everyone can become “smart” at math. Had I not homeschooled my kids, my 11 year old would probably be in a remedial math class but here he is learning math in a way I never did, and exploring concepts nobody would dream of teaching to a sixth grader.
My boys and I have gotten to explore so many areas of math that truly are cool- number theory, counting and combinatorics, etc. I was always in an advanced or honors math in middle and high schools and I learn things now that I think- I can’t believe nobody EVER told me this! Concepts that really tie things together like Pascal’s triangle and binomial expansions (and imagine finding that out when studying combinations! )
The bigger benefit of really stretching your brain with mathematics is the confidence it instills. Doing something hard like taking something new and turning it into something you know how to solve instead of plugging in a formula does a number to your confidence that transcends all aspects of life. Or figuring out the “formula” before they tell it to you. Kids can actually do that if you let them and teach them how. Teaching my kids math is hands down the most rewarding experience of my family life.
There are so many resources out there, but I have to recommend the Art of Problem Solving and their program for younger kids, Beast Academy- it is a really good place to start. And using Holly’s ideas of relating math to real life makes it fun! I especially like to save those gems for when one of my boys asks me about math in real life. (Boy did my boys and I enjoy the birthday probability bet!!!!)
Happy (belated) Pi Day! And thank you, Holly for your Substack!
I have a student who knows 80% of every topic correct, really goes off the rails on the final 20%, and is 1,000% confident that he knows everything. Here's my example, from a couple days ago:
"Mr. Midget, did you know that if you measure around a circle, it will always be 8 feet around no matter how big the circle is?"
"No, that's not how it works."
"Yes it is. The sun and a basketball are both circles, and if you measure them they're both 8 feet."
"No, they're not."
"Yes, they are. That's what π day is all about. It's why circles are amazing. They're always 8 feet."
Irrational numbers drive me nuts. If I were more math-y, I'd be one of those nerds calculating ever more decimal places in pi because I JUST KNOW THERE'S AN END TO THIS SOMEWHERE AND I'M GOING TO FIND IT BY GOD.
Happy Pi Day! I have been slowly working my way through your "How to Not Suck At Math" series. Thank you for showing the beauty of mathematics - I have had mathphobia since 8th grade when I was placed in the "accelerated" algebra class and for the first time in my life was completely flummoxed by a subject, but I'm trying to overcome it.
I realize now that I was one of those kids to whom anything verbal or reading-based came very easily, and who was good at basic math - but the necessity for discipline and practice in learning more advanced math came as a complete shock and I succumbed to the "if I am not immediately awesome at this, I clearly suck and should not even try" mindset.
Wishing you a happy one ! One of the schools where I teach is having a pie 🥧 contest and pie sale for the holiday. This is a very poor urban public school and it’s so good to see the kids learning about math in a fun way.
Analytic geometry is where my math progress started to break down, I don't exactly know why. So when you promise trig and even a bit of calculus, I am looking forward to it. If there have to be memory drills, at least I can hope to be more motivated than I was when I preferred the memory drills of the football playbook. I'm glad Big Sad has departed for now.
I am a closet math nerd…I was a late bloomer. I had no idea who I really was until I started homeschooling my kids. I suppose maybe I’m not so in the closet anymore as most people who visit inevitably notice my Epsilon of Math calendar and might even be subject to trying a problem or two on a Friday night. Holly’s series on “How Not to Suck at Math” is what led me to read this Substack in the first place. (And for a multitude of reasons, I very grateful for that!)
I was elated when my 11 year old reminded me it was Pi Day, and asked me how many digits of pi I could recite. (For the record, he beat me by going to the eleventh digit. I only know to the eight digit which is probably going to get me kicked out of the math nerds club.)
I hope everyone who reads this Substack will read Holly’s series and share with their kids. One thing I learned from homeschooling is that everyone can become “smart” at math. Had I not homeschooled my kids, my 11 year old would probably be in a remedial math class but here he is learning math in a way I never did, and exploring concepts nobody would dream of teaching to a sixth grader.
My boys and I have gotten to explore so many areas of math that truly are cool- number theory, counting and combinatorics, etc. I was always in an advanced or honors math in middle and high schools and I learn things now that I think- I can’t believe nobody EVER told me this! Concepts that really tie things together like Pascal’s triangle and binomial expansions (and imagine finding that out when studying combinations! )
The bigger benefit of really stretching your brain with mathematics is the confidence it instills. Doing something hard like taking something new and turning it into something you know how to solve instead of plugging in a formula does a number to your confidence that transcends all aspects of life. Or figuring out the “formula” before they tell it to you. Kids can actually do that if you let them and teach them how. Teaching my kids math is hands down the most rewarding experience of my family life.
There are so many resources out there, but I have to recommend the Art of Problem Solving and their program for younger kids, Beast Academy- it is a really good place to start. And using Holly’s ideas of relating math to real life makes it fun! I especially like to save those gems for when one of my boys asks me about math in real life. (Boy did my boys and I enjoy the birthday probability bet!!!!)
Happy (belated) Pi Day! And thank you, Holly for your Substack!
❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️
I have a student who knows 80% of every topic correct, really goes off the rails on the final 20%, and is 1,000% confident that he knows everything. Here's my example, from a couple days ago:
"Mr. Midget, did you know that if you measure around a circle, it will always be 8 feet around no matter how big the circle is?"
"No, that's not how it works."
"Yes it is. The sun and a basketball are both circles, and if you measure them they're both 8 feet."
"No, they're not."
"Yes, they are. That's what π day is all about. It's why circles are amazing. They're always 8 feet."
Subscribed to Amanda.
If the 14th of March is Pi day, and the 15th of March is the Ides of March, should the FIFTH of March be PIE-EYED day?
Irrational numbers drive me nuts. If I were more math-y, I'd be one of those nerds calculating ever more decimal places in pi because I JUST KNOW THERE'S AN END TO THIS SOMEWHERE AND I'M GOING TO FIND IT BY GOD.
I think you will enjoy this PI day memory of a local couple, Bob and Charlee Moore who owned Bob's Red Mill, which they turned into a worker owned cooperative in later years. You can read it at the Milwaukee Review https://www.milwaukiereview.com/news/portland-professor-mathematically-breaks-down-bob-moores-founder-of-bobs-red-mill-pi-day-love/article_6c33e973-71d7-513a-b380-956e2dcbad06.html?utm_source=second-street&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=milwaukiereviewnewsletter&emailmd5=5fbf369897761452624e571dca116ba7&emailsha1=120918811419216231131397138841987621433621223106&emailsha256=0030aa97730b2aaadcf1049149fe662aa93494791b2fce8a366613a2746aea29.
Happy Pi Day! I have been slowly working my way through your "How to Not Suck At Math" series. Thank you for showing the beauty of mathematics - I have had mathphobia since 8th grade when I was placed in the "accelerated" algebra class and for the first time in my life was completely flummoxed by a subject, but I'm trying to overcome it.
I realize now that I was one of those kids to whom anything verbal or reading-based came very easily, and who was good at basic math - but the necessity for discipline and practice in learning more advanced math came as a complete shock and I succumbed to the "if I am not immediately awesome at this, I clearly suck and should not even try" mindset.
Thank you! And I hope you have seen this: https://jasonjonker.substack.com/p/a-drinkers-excuse
Wishing you a happy one ! One of the schools where I teach is having a pie 🥧 contest and pie sale for the holiday. This is a very poor urban public school and it’s so good to see the kids learning about math in a fun way.
Analytic geometry is where my math progress started to break down, I don't exactly know why. So when you promise trig and even a bit of calculus, I am looking forward to it. If there have to be memory drills, at least I can hope to be more motivated than I was when I preferred the memory drills of the football playbook. I'm glad Big Sad has departed for now.