A post for my brother

"Miss, can you please come teach us?"

This was the questions that my students posed to me yesterday mid-morning. It was about 10:30 and I was expecting the third graders in the library. After reading them their story and getting them situated with books, I left them with their teacher and went to see what the eighth graders were up to.

The eighth grade teacher hadn't shown up yet. Usually when he is gone, teachers from the other grades will give the students work to do. Students are quite used to taking care of themselves in the classroom, which is why I was surprised by their request, afterall he's been gone almost weekly for the entire year and they hadn't ever requested my help. When I asked them what they wanted me to teach, they said the one thing I hoped they wouldn't, math.

It's not that I'm bad at math, I just don't share my brother's prowess or enthusiasm, I can get by for myself, and enough in the elementary classroom, but I was a little nervous to tackle 8th grade math. Lucky for me, it turns out 8th grade math isn't too big or scary. In fact, I have to agree with the other PCVs who have taught math- it's easier than English. I mean, I don't know if you've noticed from this blog, but I don't exactly have great prowess in English either, I just have the prerequisite to teach it as a foreign language- I'm a native speaker.

The thing about teaching math is, it really is a universal language. Sure, there is not a direct translation for the word, "ratio" but we figured it out. I was, and I think the students were too, disappointed when the teacher showed up half way through the lesson and thanked me for my help.

Math put my students and I on equal ground, we both understand the concepts, and were more comfortable communicating with numbers than we have been using words the last 5 months. Sorry math, I may have been too quick to judge.