I can do math.

It’s not my first choice.

Give me a book.

Let me write,

let me deliver a speech or two,

Just let me choose!

It’s not that math’s hard.

But because it’s “One Right Answer”

I fret,

I worry,

I dither,

And I change my mind

Again,

and AGAIN,

and YET AGAIN!

I forgot my lifelines . . .

I could have skype messaged Lynn

or text messaged Katie.

I could have contacted Chad or JJ.

Under pressure

I folded

I contacted THE GOOGLE.

I was checking my great nephew’s 5th grade math.

Confident was I

After all I had taught fourth grade

And I thought I was successful

Even if it was back before Columbus discovered America!

REALLY, How hard could it be?

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Problem Example (No REALpictures – didn’t think of that either!)

Something like this block . . . repeated about 50 million times like it had been stamped onto the paper as a block of problems about 30 times.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something that looks like exponents.  I’m pretty sure that I did not see this in my grade 5 math.

What did I need?

Confirmation of this:

or even this chart:

or even this would have been helpful

OR even this (all courtesy of THE GOOGLE!)

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I was brave.

I researched.

I checked.

I googled again.

Checking my great nephew’s math homework.

Worrying that it would be “WRONG”

When it looked pretty darn “RIGHT”!

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After all,

I’m NOT just an AUNT;

I’m the World’s BEST Great Aunt!

My confidence wanes

I’d hate for the homework to be counted wrong.

So I ask THE GOOGLE one more time

Then I text my niece and nephew,

“If B’s math is wrong, it would be my fault.  He had me check it.  I used a bit of Google and believe it to be all good.”

His mother replied,

“Excellent. I stopped being able to help him with math in second grade when they switched to the common core.”

Math woes . . .

Literacy is so much easier!

How do you solve problems?

How do you know when your problem solving works?

Who do you ask for help?  

What do you do when you don’t “KNOW something”?

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Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Lanny, Lisa, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum and the #SOLSC that runs from March 1 to the 31st. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.