The ONE thing which would have stopped me from getting straight Fs in Math and dropping out in grade 9 only to find out I had a genius level IQ!

(Yes, ik IQ tests are unfair and often inaccurate measures but just read it)

Soooooo....... Grade 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 failed math miserably. I thought I was a moron but really it was THE WAY MATH ITSELF WAS EXPLAINED!!!

"SOLVE" the "problem". Er.. Ok... the um problem... needs to be?Tf do you mean solve? And tf you mean problem? These terms were vomited out like we should already "get it". Tiny problem- intelligent people can interpret SOLVE a PROBLEM in hundreds of ways so an intelligent kid can interpret this statement upwards of 90,000 different ways.

So: "Problem solving consists of using generic or ad hoc methods in an orderly manner to find solutions to problems. "- Wikipedia

But: "[Problem solving] in mathematics, to solve an equation is to find its solutions, which are the values (numbers, functions, sets, etc.) that fulfill the condition stated by the equation, consisting generally of two expressions related by an equals sign. When seeking a solution, one or more variables are designated as unknowns. A solution is an assignment of values to the unknown variables that makes the equality in the equation true." - Wikipedia

And also: "A problem is a difficulty which may be resolved by problem solving" - Wikipedia

A difficulty huh.... Aight. So without logical explanations I used the "using generic or ad hoc methods in an orderly manner to find solutions to problems" technique. Not knowing it ACTUALLY meant was to find "an assignment of values to the unknown variables that makes the equality in the equation true." because I could imagine thousands of ways to look at this "problem" and "create equality of value on both sides of the statement including imputing any unstated values"

If someone told !e in grade 3 the mathematical problem solving concept and GOAL I would have been top of my class but noone did so I just started skipping all math since it seemed like pushy abuse without guidance.

Then I found out, became a Mensa member, and spent a decade as a data research analyst. IF THEY HAD ONLY TOLD ME INSTEAD OF PUTTING SQUIGGLES ON THE BLACKBOARD AND GIVING NO HINT WHAT THEY MEANT BY "SOLVE" OR "PROBLEM". Once someone explained it to me I was reading the special theory of relativity within a couple months. Then learned 8 languages and 10 programming languages, game theory, two degrees (BSc Psych, BFA Music, MSc Cognitive Sciences with an advanced diploma in psycholinguistics while my friends were still in HS) Then I used the knowledge I found to create new meta-Bayesian techniques to foresee presymptomatic mental illnesses and begin appropriate treatments.

Point- Teachers should never assume children are as limited as they are. Instead I tried to figure out WHY 5 was to be dissolved in 8.... Or why it was a PROBLEM, if 5+8=13 ERM what's the problem!!!!!!????

Ok u get it. Anyone else have education stories where the vastly assuming way an idea was presented created a wall to understanding it?

Submitted November 22, 2020 at 05:15PM by RealisticDrama7 https://ift.tt/3nNdJJL