Shelly's+Learning+Log


 * Week One:**

Sorry this is late. This week has been a rough one for me emotionally, and that always seems to seep into your school work a bit. But chapter one wasn't too bad. I actually took the 850 class, so that was everything you learn in 850 (practically) rolled into one chapter. The only thing that gets me is this new idea of how to subtract. I just need to work on that, or that's going to get me in the end. Because I'm sure it makes sense and is easier than what I have to do now. But I feel pretty confident in all the other area's, even though my multiplication tables are still tricky too. Math definitely isn't a strong point, but I'm working on it and I'm looking forward to a good semester. I just need to get that subtraction thing down! I'm so glad that you're willing to work with us after class though, so that if I have any questions I can talk to you about it. It's a lot easier and more effective to get homework done that way than on my own sometimes.


 * Week Two:**

Late again! I'm going to start getting a bad reputation for this. But I really wanted to at least get this up. I feel like Chapter Two has been SO much easier than Chapter One. You wouldn't think that, but I think it just comes to feeling more comfortable with the class, and with doing math again. It's so easy to get out of the habit and not really do anything. But I feel like I'm really understanding what's going on. I've been able to go at least one unit ahead in the homework before class, and that just makes me feel good. Thanks for all of your help after class too. It's great to have time when I can just sit and do my homework and know that if I have any questions they'll be answered!


 * Week Three:**

I'm doing this one early so that I don't forget!! :) A few of the equations we've been setting up have been a little bit tricky, but I feel like I'm really getting the grasp of it all. At least right now. I'm still nervous for whatever is coming next. I'm really suprised at how easy solving for a variable really is. I remember school growing up and //never// feeling like Math was easy in any way. Maybe I wasn't trying as hard, or maybe my teachers didn't explain it in a way that made sense, but I really feel like I'm starting to understand how to do a problem and get answers in a non-frustrating way. Math can be so frustrating when you don't understand how to solve the problem, and then it's really easy just to give up. But so far, I'm not even close to that point. But I'll have to edit this after the test and see how I really feel about it!


 * Week Four:**

I'm so happy that I did well on the test. It wasn't just me thinking I understood, I actually do! It's crazy for me to realize that I can actually do math. I think growing up, I just limited myself to what I was capable of doing. Now I understand that if I actually put forward the effort (pay attention in class, do the homework, stay after class and work through problems), then I really will do well. I got an A- in my math class last year (the 850 class) and I'm actually hoping that I can do better than that this semester. I'm shooting for an A. In a math class. What has happened to me?

I do think that this test is going to be a lot more difficult. I'm pretty sure that I have a grasp on what's happening. As long as I remember that fractions are just a division problem. They aren't some freakish anomaly that is impossible to conquer. I just really feel good about what I'm doing. Fraction problems take a really long time though. It's twice the work as a regular number. I'm a little nervous about making mistakes in the math, just because there are more steps to solving. I feel like I know what the concepts are, but when actually doing the problem, if I make one minor mistake, the whole problem is wrong. I can be a bit of a lazy person. Checking a normal equation seems so much easier than checking an equation with fractions. Is there an easier way to do it?

Besides that, I feel like class is going well. I feel like staying after class and working through problems on my own, and having you there to ask, is so helpful. That way, if I missed anything during class, I know I can get it figured out correctly in my brain. And the candy was great on Thursday! :)


 * __Week 5: //Inretrospect//__**

Well, I'm not so great at updating this every week. :( If I forget to do it on Friday, then it's a gonner. Taking the test was a bit nerve-racking. I knew what I understood, and I knew what I had issues with. I had spent a lot of extra time on the homework with volume and area. I did some extra problems just to make sure I got it. The tricky part was entering this test knowing that if i did minor errors (that had been my issue with the homework) then the whole problem was screwed.

I've been really lucky to have my husband with me, who checks my homework when the answer is in the back and I don't want to go through all the work. Although estimating is great for checking. :) I'm realizing that now too. He would also explain to me when the answer was in the back of the book and I just got it wrong for something stupid. Finishing up the homework was so stressful to me because of that. I kept doing the same problem over and over (I want to saw it was number 53 of the last section--but my homeowork sheet isn't with me right now, so I can't say for sure), and I was getting so frustrated. Scott (the husband) told me to just take a break and finish it later. I thought he was crazy because I only have so much time to get things done. I followed his advice though, and it was so helpful. When I went back to it, it had somewhat clicked. A lot easier to work through. I think after doing hours of homework in one day, my brain was done!

The test wasn't so bad. I'm SO glad that I stayed for the game and review, because it helped me to realize what kind of problems I had issues with. Again, the stupid area! But I learned that I have to make sure I'm working with the right numbers in the first place. Because of these issues, that was the problem I 'smilied'. Luckily, I didn't get it wrong. I understand it after all! But I was right about stupid mistakes. Who says that 2 x 4 is 6???

Starting decimals is actually a lot easier than I thought. The first few sections have been a breeze. I really like the order that we're going through, because it helps me see that the math and the actual problem are the same. I understand the main idea, it's just solving it another way.


 * __Week Six: //Inretrospect//__**

This week has been a bit tougher, math wise and life wise. I'm just feeling myself not be as motivated as I have been. It sucks! And I'm starting to get sick. Which is not fun at all. I feel like I understand everything that we've done so far. I'm having a little trouble remembering the difference always between mode, median, and mean. Mean=average, Median=middle, and Mode=most repeated?? (I hope that's right because that's what I did on the test). Homework hasn't been to bad. Everything is great up until Thursday.

Thursday I wasn't even able to come to class, and you had said that this was going to be the "monster." I hated missing it, knowing that I was going to be behind. You explain math in a way that it makes sense. Going over the homework and having Scott teach me, a lot of things seemed pretty easy. Like the P.... Theory. :) a squared + b squared = c square. It makes sense. Square Roots not such a bad concept, especially when it's whole numbers. It's harder when it's decimals! Thank goodness we were able to use a calculator. Doing it on my own is a pain.

I'm feeling a lot more confident in my understanding of Math. It's never been something that has made sense to me. I'm still having issues when it comes to area and volume and surface area. I think surface area I'm struggling with a lot more, just because I wasn't here on Thursday. I probably should have done more on the homework practicing like last week, but being sick has really sucked energy out of me and just getting the homework done seemed like enough.


 * __Week Seven:__**

Caught up! Tuesday is really the only day to talk about. Test day. Awful. I really feel like I did not do well on this test at all. The beginning seemed so far away. I was starting on problems and going "Did I even do homework on this"?? I know that I did. I did all of the work. It made sense, and then the problems on the test just felt more difficult. This, of course, has been the worst day of having a cold. I was doing work slower, not being as careful as normal. I don't think I checked really most of my work like I had on the chapter 4 quiz where I checked everything. Just awful. I really don't feel good about the Surface Area question. Honestly, looking back I just feel like this was a crappy week and that my work was horrible. I'm just feeling like this is going to be my worst test. And I'm really hoping that other people had a hard time too so that my grade won't suffer. Which is not so nice of me, but having an A in math is great! I want to keep it there!! We'll just see what I get on Tuesday. :( :( Meh!

Nice thing is not having homework at all this week. Which is nice not to have to stress about. It's a free weekend! :) Enjoy it!


 * __Week 8: Inretrospect__**

Well, once again I forgot to do a learning log on time. I don't think you're very suprised. Midterms. Yay. Because I grabbed the test and not the math review after chapter fives quiz, and didn't have the review sheet with me the whole weekend. Coming into class on Tuesday I really just felt like I wasn't prepared to go through all of the review questions. I wanted to go through and solve problems and figure out what I needed help on. I sat there doing my work, and trying to pay attention to what you were going through on the review, but I ended up deciding that it wasn't going to be as helpful since I hadn't done the sheet yet. Well, now I wish I'd stayed. The second page on the midterm was the worst for me, just because I had to go through and do it almost 3 times for every problem. And the 3rd problem on that page both times I did it, I got the same answer. But leaving, I felt really good about what I did. I didn't feel like I missed anything major, and I felt like I had understood the material overall. I was really happy that there weren't too many geometry based questions. I'm starting to get the formula's mixed up in my head of which formula is for which.


 * __Week 9:__**

I'm on time! I'm early even. It's Friday, and I'm feeling great about chapter 6. Not so great about the midterm though. When you were talking about how everyone had done horribly, I was //so// nervous to get the results back. I really had felt so good about the test, and looking through it it, I really didn't miss problems because I didn't know how to do it. I am //so sick// of making //stupid// errors! Of course, if I was really so sick of doing that, then I would check my work!!! But I didn't, because I felt like I did so well the first time that there wasn't a point. And then I get 88%. And that's not bad, but I really just wanted to do so much better. I think that I've set a really high bar, and I want to make sure I stay in an A. I just registered for MAT 1000, and I want to feel confident going into it. But maybe because I've been feeling confident I haven't been doing as well. Maybe my two really good tests were just flukes. :( Chapter 6 is really easy, but maybe I'm going to make stupid mistakes somewhere on this test too. Probably on the tree question.

The amazing thing with math, is that once you know you understand how to solve a problem, it doesn't seem so frustrating or impossible. It's actually kind of fun. I really liked the Pumpkin Patch game, even though we didn't do well (Again, stupid errors!!) But it was a fun review of how to solve these problems. I just need to make sure I remember how to get into a unit rate from a regular rate. And now that I'm writing and thinking, I'm starting to confuse myself on which is a ratio and which is a rate. But I'll just make sure to review that this weekend while I finish my homework. I really, really want to do well on this next test. There's no reason not to do well on it.


 * __Week 10:__**

I'm a bit late, but not as late as I normally can be! I just can't beleive we just finished our tenth week of class. Crazyness. I'm really happy about how I did on the chapter 6 test. :) This is a the month for math tests I guess, they just keep coming closer and closer together. Chapter 7 homework hasn't actually been that bad. I was a little worried after class on Thursday that I wasn't really getting it, especially solving for discounts. But once I started doing the homework on those problems, I don't feel like it's really a problem. The only issue is going to be remembering the formula's. I always worry going into the tests that I'm going to mess up, or that I've spent so much time solving the equations that I'm going to forget the basic stuff. I still can't get over some of the really dumb mistakes that I've made, but I'm just starting to feel a lot better about it. I'm looking forward to the test actually. I can't beleive that this is not only my favorite class this semester, but the class that I'm doing the best in. I never thought I could say that about a math class. I just really hope I can keep these same feelings next semester!

At least I think we're on week 12. I think I'm only behind on the one that was extra credit, which is so frustrating! But I was really happy about the Chapter 7 test. I'm just really happy with how I've been doing in class. Chapter 8 and 9 is a whole different problem. I'm getting so frustrated. I think a lot of it has to deal with just life. I've been really sick this week, and haven't really done a whole lot. Plus I've had things after class that I've had to rush out for, and I really miss doing homework after class!!! It's even worse, because I just feel like I'm so behind where I want to be and that I'm going to fail the test on Tuesday. My husband says that he'll help me, but I'm not sure how slow he'll go or how well he'll really explain it. I know that he understands, and he tutors people in the same math that I'm doing, so I know that he knows what he's doing, but because I'm already so frustrated and feeling so down about this all, I'm just really worried.
 * __Week 12:__**

I don't want to fail this test! In the home work, at this point I've only actually gotten to 8.4, so I'm still working on conversions. Everything that seemed so easy in class, I'm messing up on. And the fact that, again, something is planned for after class on Tuesday is just making life a lot more stressful than I want it to be. That's the one benefit of high school I think, you don't have a million other things and responsabilities to be involved in. I'm spreading myself too thin, and I hate that because I don't want grades that I've worked so hard for to suffer!

I just don't feel as confident going in to this test than I have to any of the other's really. Hopefully that will change as I'm able to get more homework done, but I'm nervous.

Honestly, if you wanted to use me as a testimonal for staying after school to work on homework, you should. I went from getting A's on the tests to getting a B! Which isn't bad, but I really didn't feel as confident as I have been about previous tests and it really showed.
 * __Week 14:__**

Chapter 10 has been a lot better, and I've been able to stay and work with you on homework. It's just good to know that I'm doing it right and grasping the concepts. The only thing that I'm worried about on this upcoming test is that because I've gotten the homework done I haven't really studied over the weekend and I feel like I really need to study over the different rules and get those down. But besides that I feel like I should do better on this test then the last one. I just can't beleive that this is the last week of school. And I know that my weeks are off, I'm not sure what week this should be. I'll probably go over and look at Collin's and count, because I know he's awesome at doing these while I'm not quite as good.

I just really want to do well on these last two tests, and especially the final. I was feeling really confident about going into Math 1000, but I'm starting to get nervous now. I really want to do well on this test on Tuesday.

(just changed this from week 13 to week 14--so I guess the only one I missed was the extra credit one!)

I guess this is my last learning log, unless I update how I feel about the final. As we took our last test, and I feel much better about that test then the last, and as we've reviewed, I'm just trying to not stress out about the final. I wish I could have stayed for more of the review, because I'm a little nervous about forgetting how to do something and then just messing up. But I'm hoping it'll be ok. I feel confident that I know the material, but I also know that I have a habit of making dumb mistakes on the test.
 * __Week 15:__**

I'm actually sad that this class is going to be over. I've really enjoyed you as a teacher, I feel like this is the best math class I've ever had. What am I going to do next semester if it turns out that I don't understand how Clay teaches or the material! :( I'm a little freaked out about that. Thank you though for all of your effort, and for working with us after class. That time really was so great for me.

Time to pray about the final!

I feel like I did really well on the final, but I also am worried that somehow I made a stupid mistake and somehow it went wrong. I really look forward to knowing what my grade was, I'll probably email you in a bit to figure that out. But all in all, I feel like I did well. There were a few that I had problems with, but I feel like I figured it out in the end. Thanks again for all you did, hopefully I did well.
 * __Week 16: The Final__**