Read My Lips - the blog

No beautiful minds here

As I mentioned earlier, the first two years after receiving my Bachelor's degree, I taught math and history in junior high and high school. Even then I was shocked at the difference in curriculum and teaching methods, as well as the level of achievement of students, since the time that I was in those grades. For example, when I gave a worksheet to a seventh grade class with the instructions to find the product of the numbers in each problem, one of the students asked, "Do you plus it or do you times it?" It seems that the curriculum has changed further since my exit from the profession:

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl took my $2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies, while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there and cried. Why do I tell you this? Please read more about the "history of teaching math":

• Teaching Math In 1950:

  A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

• Teaching Math In 1960:

  A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100.. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

• Teaching Math In 1980:

  A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20.

  Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

• Teaching Math In 1990:

  By cutting down beautiful forest trees, the logger makes $20. What do you think of this way of making a living?

  Topic for class participation after answering the question:

  How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down the trees? (There are no wrong answers)

  
  _{Note: Above picture
  found at same source}

• Teaching Math In 2005:

  El hachero vende un camion carga por $100.

  La cuesta de production es ...

  Thanks James.

  Source.!