Think quadratic equations, parabolas and factoring quadratic equations.
These things used to intimidate me. But quite frankly, since I spent a lot of time in the BYU math lab batting my eyelashes at engineering majors... I got lots of help with Algebra. And now that I am assisting the 4th of my children with math homework.. I got this.
It's basically about formulas and principles. Once you learn it.. you just plug things in and voila! basically it's done. Plus, I have found that many of the answers are in the back of the book. So you can do the problem and then check yourself for accuracy.
Algebra 2 makes our lives difficult though because it isn't Brooke's favorite thing to do. She spends a lot of time procrastinating not doing Algebra 2. Instead she showers or gets drinks or does anything else. When I try to help with Algebra 2 apparently I am extremely annoying. The way I breathe, move and talk all interfere with my attempts to explain Algebra 2. Then we all get frustrated.
Last night I stood in line with her to talk to the math teacher at parent teacher conference for 40 minutes. We sat down together and he got tough. It was kind of cool. I like teachers that are honest and hard and expect a lot but I could feel tears pooling in my eyes, even though it wasn't me that was getting talked to about Algebra.
Unfortunately, school is full of some hard classes that are important. They make kids frustrated and parents cringe. We can see from a distance how it all really makes sense and how the puzzle pieces all fit together... but at 17.. it doesn't make sense.
At 46 it seems obvious. I know how to factor those equations and I'm so excited to share it with her!
Especially those easy ones like X2+2x-3 which is (x+3)(x-1)
But she is not excited about factoring equations.
We have about 35 more days of this term. Then we are probably not taking part two of Algebra 2.
I'm kindof looking forward to a break from the Algebra Blues.
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