Pre-calculus May KILL Me!

This week has been extremely challenging for my senior concerning her pre-calculus course and the graphing of parabolas and ellipses. I totally understand that it is nearing the end of third quarter (the hardest 9weeks of most classes) and she is learning a new concept just about every day. When you are barely "getting it" and new concepts are being introduced, it can become a recipe for disaster.

This is what I am dealing with-

Chapter 12 homework section 12.4 sta! tes:

"Graph the vertex, focus, and endpoints of the latus rectum; then draw the parabola for each equation in problem one."

Now, add on the fact that I am completely confused also (it has been a million years since my trigonometry/pre calculus days) and it doesn't matter that I have the homework answer key in front of me.

Anyone else ever have this experience?

You child needs help with math homework. You march in there to assist your student with that giant solution/answer key-knowing that you hold the answers to everything. There is nothing you can't "help" him/her with. Your child gives you the page and problem number. You've used this teacher manual for so many years you flip right to the correct page. Your child says, "I can't ! figure #7 out", and you respond proudly with, "Let me give yo! u a hint ". You begin to stare at the answer. You wonder to yourself-"How in the heck did they get this answer?" None of it looks familiar, so it must be some new method that they didn't use back in the dark ages when you were in school.

Trying your best not to show panic, you buy some time by asking, "Was that #7 or #8?" The solution typed right there in front of you begins to look like chicken scratch and you realize you can't help at all-even with the answer in bold print. You begin to regret purchasing this solution/answer key for $65, but you swallow your pride and say: "I have no idea how they got this answer, but here it is....let's try to figure out how they got it-together."

Knowing she is a senior and knowing the countdown to "THE END" is 42 days, she isn't as motivated as my freshmen who must learn their Algebraic concepts in order to progress in ! high school mathematics. As I review all of the steps in the solution, she reminds me that she will be majoring in Philosophy or Psychology. In other words, "Does any of this really matter, Mom?"

I try hard to remember what I did two years ago when I had a senior homeschool student. Pre- calculus didn't seem to be as hard to figure out. Was it that I was smarter at 39 than 41? Maybe my past senior "got it" more that my current one does. That must be it. I vaguely remember being 8 months pregnant during this section of pre-calculus, so it may be that I fell asleep every time my past senior asked for help.

I've come to the conclusion of this basic statement concerning Boys vs. Girls in mathematics. My boys are better at it. (sorry, my girls)

Hopefully, these 42 remaining days will pass as quickly for me as for my senior!

I can't take too many more assignment! s with "latus rectum" in the instructions.

Happy Teaching,

Angelle

solved precalculus problems