I haven't read every post of the entire thread, so excuse me if I say something that has already been said.
I currently teach Algebra I in the same state you live, MC, and in a county not very far away. Let me know if you decide you want an algebra tutor. (;
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Originally Posted by MysticCat
Non-trigonometrical tangent: He did tell me a few nights ago that one reason he dislikes math is because "it doesn't require any thinking." That is to say, in his view, it is mechanical or (his words), "nothing but method." You learn the formula, you plug in numbers, you solve the equation. There's nothing "creative" (again, his word) about it; nothing that requires you to think about it in the same way as, for example, you think about the effects of a historical event or the meaning of a story (or the application of a case). This lack of "creativity" makes it very, very boring to him. I'm trying to work through how this fits in to helping him approach algebra.
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This is very true and in the state you live, it is a result of standardized testing. There are "more creative" things that can be done with Algebra but because Algebra I is and always will be an EOC class, teachers are less likely to do more fun things. Their goal is to teach it exactly how it will look on the EOC so that the students can pass it. (As an special ed teacher teaching Algebra, my approach is a bit different, but gets the same result.)
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Originally Posted by KSUViolet06
(I'm taking Teaching Math in SPED right now.)
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Nothing can truly prepare anyone to teach Algebra I to students with IQs of 50 and below. Teaching Algebra to EC kids is a very, very difficult job.