trying to divide

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 Do you guys remember learning division? I do. I remember learning long division. I remember it was a huge production. They brought in a team of other people to help us all learn it, and it really worked! I learned it really fast.

I'm teaching division right now and.... it's not working out too well.

I'll be honest, it's really hard to be a teacher sometimes. Especially on days when you feel like you just aren't getting through to ANYONE. I mean, I know that there are always those kids who catch on to things super fast, but I can't help paying more attention to the ones who aren't simply because, well... they NEED more attention.

Teacher problems, right?

Anyway, today I was helping three girls with division. I asked them, "ok, what is 8 divided by 2?" thinking for sure they have to know this one. I mean, we're almost doing long division here, they better know a simple fact, right? Wrong. Cue the counting on fingers, screwing up their cute little noses, gazing at the ceiling to check if the answer is possibly written there... and finally the answer of... "16?"

To which I said, (in my most impatient patient voice - you know it's a thing), "No... that's multiplication. We're dividing, remember? 8 divided by 2."

And then they said, "oh! Dividing! So it's 12!"

I mean... what??????????????????


I just. I really need a vacation.

If anyone wants to come to my class to teach division, feel free. We have math from 12 to 1.

p.s. what do you remember learning in school?