Arithmetic

Of course, we were taught arithmetic already in the first grade at Zion Lutheran School in Walburg, Texas. It was all pretty straight adding, subtracting and multiplying. We were taught the processes but none of the” theory”. I make the sad confession that I had no idea of the decimal system with its ones, ten and hundreds. I am embarrassed to say that when I did a year as a “supply teacher” of grades one to four I told the students to ignore all that stuff about ones and tens. When a bright student even asked me about it I told her to just forget about all that. It was only when I later took a course on Teaching Math that I caught on to that primary (even kindergarten) concept. 

I was spared learning much about math throughout my education. I took one course in algebra. I have no idea how I made it through high school and college without ever taking geometry, trig, or calculus. When I got to graduate school at the University of Pacific I was fortunate to have an outstanding professor of statistics. He was a genius at making complex math concepts understandable. He even had me do correlation coefficient numbers relating to exams I gave to my students in elementary school. And then he served on my thesis exam committee and I looked good because of all that he had taught me.

By coincidence I just yesterday listened to a fascinating NPR program on math and numbers. The speaker urged us to think of the importance of numbers in our everyday life. He directed us to reflect on what it would be like if we did not numbers to identify our age, phone number, mailing address, money, car speed, etc. etc. So I am grateful for all who really “get’ numbers and for all who have gone before me and put into place number systems which make life possible and more enjoyable.