numbers
I’m not much of a numbers gal. Math was never my thing. I actually remember the moment when my math struggles became painfully obvious: It was sixth grade when my teacher, Mr. Santner, taught the section of the textbook about rounding numbers and estimation. I absolutely could not grasp the concept. My inability was of enough concern to my parents that they scheduled a meeting with Mr. Santner. He wisely recommended that we all lower our expectations and move me from advanced to intermediate math for the rest of my academic career. Thank goodness for Mr. Santner.
Regardless of my math inabilities and general forgetfulness of numbers, I am often impressed by statistics (though I quickly forget them just as I’m trying to tell someone how impressed I was). The number that impressed me the most today? A baseball score of 30-3! Who’s ever heard of such a thing?!
I have a few other number-related items that I want to share with you: According to a D3Kicks.com preseason poll, Messiah’s men’s soccer team is ranked #1 in the country; the same poll ranks Messiah’s women’s soccer #3 in the country; the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s preseason poll places the Lady Falcons at #2 in the country; and, lest you think Messiah is known only for superb athletic programs, the 2007 “U.S. News and World Report” college rankings place us #4 in two impressive categories — best baccalaureate colleges in the northeast and “Great Schools at Great Prices.”
yeah. math. ugh. it first became apparant to me that math was not my strong suit when i saw that i was to be in pre-algebra for the second year in a row. not because i failed, necessarily, but because the teachers “thought it was best to try it again before i moved on to algebra”.
but then in high school, my math teacher was mr. stonge. none other than my current father in law. he has an amazing ability to make math fun and help the poor slower kids find approaches that make more sense to them. i really appreciated that.
now, even last week i couldn’t figure out how to divide nine by four and i was confounded for quite some time - but i would say, overall, i fit into society fairly well.
usually. heh.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:56 am