Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Fractions and Decimals of my Life

I regretted only yesterday having taken mathematics for class six this year. Earlier i thought teaching younger children would be more fun than older students. Honestly, it isnt. The first chapter in class six maths is "Fractions and Decimals" which turns out to be menacingly maths!
My class is still struggling in half the chapter, discovering all the hidden senses from the sample calculations wi...ttingly given in the text books. Aww..these students get confused with three-fourths and two-thirds, one-halves and two-fifths.
I explain to them umpteenth time about how to add simple fractions and i solve it on the board. "Ha go yee?", i ask them, my heart three-fourths, sunk in desperation! "Yes sir", they would shout boastfully. I give them a pair of fraction to add to check their understanding. All of them goes into business. Tulsi would show his answer first,be it right or wrong. Others would marvel at his speed of maths and wait in an eerie silence whether or not he got right from me. I put a long tick mark on his note and purposely announce "wrong!" in a much higher decibel. "What are u all waiting for?", i ask them non-chalantly. They would all at once busy themselves for their own answers.
Oh these small kids! They would just wait to copy answers!
There is Jigme at one corner, taller than most of his classmates, who would always pretend that he is solving his maths but he never does! The moment i look at him,he goes muttering something hastily. I cant be fooled easily. I go nearer at him and listen to wat he is muttering frantically...hell with him! He is back with his old tricks! The most plausible excuse that u wud give to ur maths teacher if u didnt know ur answer was, act u are doing something! He does that...he just goes 2 one za 2, 2 two za 4..blah blah at an enormous speed that any maths teacher would think it is some mighty calculations! But not me.
I box his ears this time too, he twists his face painfully. I get relieved. He he he.
Diagonally opposite to jigme are three girls, darn too naive to know any maths! I wonder at thier ability to act pittingly innocent with their eyes hunting down for thier frends' answer. I look at them with my face almost red with rage,they would go counting something on their hands and fingers...some numbers anyway! It is maths afterall.
Well i would be unfair if i tell that i dont beat my students. I do. Sometimes i try to measure my strenghts so thriftily that i try synchronising all my muscles available and hit them on their hands so that it wud just make their chubby fingers red. I honestly cant think that i can teach mathematics without instilling a wee bit fear in students. I am aware without a morsel of doubt that these students wont take maths seriously till i dont be strict with them. Copying aint any better,always getting help aint any good whcih is wat my students in class six do. Therefore, beat them, i must!
..(..tis getting longer than expected..sorry people..good night!)

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