18043 replies to this topic

[corenfa]

Many of them will be listed by the equivalent of electronic shopfronts where you can buy anything from eye masks to plant seeds, so likely to be done automatically.

[zwhe]

Many years ago, a labour party member came to our house and my then teenage sister answered the door. He asked to speak to her mum, and she said "I don't have a mum" His response, "Don't be silly, everyone has a mum", given just a few weeks after her death, left such an impression on my sister that she has never even considered voting for labour.

This week, a couple of labour party members came to my door while I was teaching. I told them I was teaching and needed to go, but they wouldn't leave. My pupil commented: "I won't ever vote for them because they were rude"

Perhaps  they should think a little more about future voters who are still forming their opinions?

[maggiemay]

Indeed so. I had this once from the road steward of our local residents’ association, who walked back down our path haranguing me as she went, because I was rude enough to be expecting a student when she called, and did not have time to talk to her.

 

Most people just don’t understand ‘working from home’. 

[zwhe]

If you leave a yellow duster in the pile of cleaning cloths, and then boil-wash them, everything turns a strange shade of yellow...

[Aquarelle]

Commiserations zwhe. And if you  leave your mobile phone in your jeans pocket and wash them at 40°  -  you have to buy a new one!

[zwhe]

Ooops! At least mine is just cleaning cloths, and doesn't really matter, except it is a really sickly colour! I wish your new phone a long and dry life!

[JudithJ]

Unfortunately zwhe it is normal. Part of the problem is that the decimal system is taught earlier than fractions in many cases - certainly in the junior school where I work. It is quite usual for pupils to tell me that a quaver is point  five of a crotchet. I don't think that matters too much but of course later they get stuck with that system as well because fractions work s omuch better for music.  But in general and despite all the things people say to the contrary, anyone who has spent years teaching knows that standards have declined. I too have spent many a music lesson teaching maths. I am horrified when I find top juniors cannot read the relatively simple words of a song and as for getting anyone to reply to a question with a fully thought out and clearly expressed answer (even if it is wrong)  - well I struggle with that every time I teach!

This is why I love my home schooled pupils. They think much more freely, and have learned what they know thoroughly. They might not have the breadth of knowledge that children who attend school have, but the subjects that they've studied are well understood. Of course, this may just be my experience rather than being generally true.

[SingingPython]

Kids who learn decimals and don't master fractions well also fall down later when they get past the initial stages of algebra.  Reviewing fractions is on my things-to-check when tutoring maths at any level including undergraduates (once tutored an engineering student).

[thara96]

Ironing is hard work

[Banjogirl]

At my mad primary school we weren't taught much at all. In third year our teacher was so appalled at our lack of knowledge that, very much against the school's ethos, he did an hour of percentages and fractions with us every morning. I loved it, and have never forgotten what we learnt, and it's stood me in good stead. It's something I use all the time in everyday life, AND it's useful for working out tricky rhythms!

[Hedgehog]

Just been checking theory results in case they've lost count of the weeks and let the results out early.  (No they haven't  )

[elemimele]

in defence of modern primary schools, my kid is much better at fractions than his mother.

[thara96]

Dyscalculia is a nightmare!

 

Yesterday it stopped me from being able to count properly at a local Italian restaurant when we were paying for the meal. 

[LoneM]

Seeriously - would an abacus help? Still popular in Japan, and looks rather fun. https://www.theguard...umber-joy-japan