By Jodi Baker, Math Interventionist
Math anxiety is very common across all ages. In fact, we unintentionally put math anxiety on children at a very young age when they hear us say things like, "I was never good at math. You're probably just like me, and will struggle with it too." Nothing could be more untrue. Math is not something you're either good at or you're not.
Math is a skill we learn to develop, and it is developed through practices that foster thinking. For example, those of us born prior to the 1990s were taught math in a very structured way that encouraged the student to apply a formula that produced an answer. Our teachers didn't explain the process, they just wrote it down and told us to do the same process to solve the problems. I guarantee that if the teacher was questioned as to why one solved the problem that way, they were told that it was just the way to do it. And if you could reproduce that process, you were great at math! NOT TRUE! The best mathematicians can solve a problem multiple ways, and can talk about what they did to solve it. This doesn't require natural mathematical ability. It requires that the learner reflect and can notice things about numbers.
When I talk to other math teachers, I ask them how often they have number talks in their classroom. Asking kids what they notice and wonder about gets the wheels greased in terms of problem solving. We problem solve in life every day, and that's all math is - problem solving! The best thing math teachers and parents can do is to avoid teaching an algorithm. The following link has explanations of strategies math teachers use now to teach different skills. This is very useful when helping your child with math homework or to practice skills at home. I am always happy to have parents come in so I can show you how we solve different types of problems! Keep an open mind and remember that everyone is a math person!!!
Most of you know me as the school nurse here at Walden school, a position I’ve held since January 2018. I wanted to share a little about me and the services I provide at school.
While I was in school working on my nursing degree, I held a variety of positions within the medical field as a Licensed Nursing Assistant; from working as an aid in skilled nursing facilities to being the lead patient care technician at a dialysis clinic. I graduated from Vermont Technical College in 2009 with my Associates Degree in Nursing. In 2014, I earned my Master’s of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management from Walden University. My nursing career began in the medical group practice setting working in pediatrics, urology, family medicine, and medical oncology. Upon earning my Master’s degree, I took on the role of Assistant Director of Nursing to over 18 medical group practices. I was lucky to have had the opportunity to work with a skilled Director of Nursing who helped me to hone my leadership skills.
As the nurse at Walden School, I attend to your children’s health needs while they are at school. While I do quite a bit of first aid, there is so much more to being a school nurse than band-aids and ice packs. School nurses serve as your school point of contact for all health related information. Below are just some of the things that I can do:
Coordinate care between the school, families, and health care providers
Assist students and families to locate health/dental care and health insurance
Work with families to help students with a chronic medical condition learn more about their disease and become more independent with disease management
Monitor students for changes related to medication and/or assistive devices and communicate findings back to the family and/or healthcare provider.
Work with students to help them meet their own health/wellness goals
If you have any health related questions or concerns about your child, please reach out to me. I love hearing from families and interacting with students, and I am happy to be a resource for your family. I’m always available to work with you to meet both you and your students’ needs.
Opportunities available to 5-8 and high school students interested in STEM
We hope you will join for some of these exciting programs! Make sure to sign up by the registration deadline.
More information about each program and registration links can be found at: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/youth/announcements
February 2 - Have you ever wanted to learn how to program your own game? Well, here's your chance! In this 4-H World Changers: Learn to Code series, you will learn to program a collecting game using p5.js, a JavaScript library created especially for artists and designers. We will meet virtually each Thursday from February 2 - March 9, 7:00-8:00 pm. Register by February 1.
February 3 - Get your Science Olympiad team ready to compete! UVM will be hosting the Vermont Science Olympiad on Saturday, April 1, 2023, and we are looking for high school teams to join us for this exciting day of science competition! Teams need to pre-register by Feb 3 or contact Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu
February 11 - Have you ever wondered how rockets work, and what goes into designing them? Come to this teen science cafe hosted by Jeff Gibson, Deputy Chief Engineer at Benchmark Space Systems. At this cafe, Jeff will walk through basic principles and
show you how to design your own functional model rocket from scratch! Register by Feb 8.
February 18 - Discover Engineering is a FREE annual event for youth in grades 5-12 who want to learn about engineering, build skills and network with engineering students, faculty and professionals. Register by Feb 8; workshops are first-come, first-serve so don't wait!
More information about each program and registration links can be found at: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/youth/announcements
Walden School
Email: anthony.fontana@ccsuvt.net
Website: https://walden.ccsuvt.net/
Location: 135 Cahoon Farm Road, West Danville, VT, USA
Phone: (802)563-3000