2+3=5, duh.
You would think teaching simple math would be easy. Well, apparently not. Yesterday we had an all morning workshop about math. It was principally for the primary teaches, myself included. The workshop was given by a Swiss national who is living with his family here in Managua. His role is to support and develop math in all of Fe y Alegría´s schools in Nicaragua. That´s quite a task. Anyway, the workshop was great. I had forgotten math can be fun. I think he really turned many of our notions about math unside down, especially for my coworkers. It is typical for a teacher to put a bunch of problems on the board and for students to copy and do the problems. This is not a good way to learn but it is how just about every class, in every subject, is taught to Nicaraguans the whole country over. I personally have not had a real intensive math class since St. X High in Cincy. Even with my math skills well on the backburner I remembered not only how to multiply fractions but was able to teach my coworker who is a 6th grade teacher. I don´t know how kids learn here. Michael´s coworker, a Nicaraguan, said that for a kid to learn in the Nicaraguan school system they have to be an outright genius. I´m starting to believe him. Anyway, the workshop was energizing and gave me some ideas to spice up my lesson plans that teachers leave me. Even if they leave me with simple copying plans I feel like I could spice them up a little bit. Vamos a ver.
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