by Claudia Lee, Secondary Mathematics Teacher
Pushing a greased elephant up a hill – some people think it would be easier to do that than to do algebra.
Why is that?
Maybe they think they don’t have the “math gene.” You know, the one that allows you to find that ever evasive “x”? Even the letter x is mysterious. Think about it. It’s not the most commonly used letter in the alphabet, and just saying the letter seems to have a negative connotation.
There are those that think they’ll never find x – they think it’s constantly on the move like a fugitive, trying not to be discovered, hiding in dark alleys and behind dumpsters. But what if we changed our thinking? What if instead we thought of it as that poor little helpless puppy who just wanted to be discovered? Wouldn’t you do anything in your power to find it?