Thanks for the kind words. I spent an entire week trying to re-learn 3 years of high school math. I did manage to learn a few things, and I feel better about the amount I know, but I have a long way to go before I could ever answer a math question that isn't in the book.
As to that, I aced the teachbacks for the math sections in training. I have every step of every problem written down, so I don't get lost. It even sounds like I know what I'm talking about. And I do, for that problem. But all will be fine. I realized that all I have to do is teach the concepts that TPR wants them to learn, and I can easily do that. The students should already know the math concepts, and if they don't, they need to see their math teacher. My mantra for this semester: "Mrs. Ceely is not your math teacher."
I finished my training for Princeton Review's SAT Prep classes. Well, almost finished. Apparently, I suck at math. This is no surprise. In high school I barely squeaked by in Algebra with Cs and Ds. I did better in Geometry, but the theorems and proofs nearly did me in. And of course, after school, I never ever used this stuff again. So how long ago was that? We had our 25th high school reunion 2 years ago!
So now I have to attend a remedial math class on Friday to see if enough of this stuff will sink in for me to teach it. Don't misunderstand me, I won't be teaching Algebra, I'll be teaching the tricks to get around Algebra. I will make it clear from day one that I am not their math teacher and that they should not be using what they learn in my class in any of their math classes, not if they want a good grade. I'm just teaching them how to beat the SAT.
Still, I'm feeling a lot of anxiety over this. I sat in that class for 6 days, and I understood how to do every problem once it was explained, but I still cannot apply the knowledge to new problems. There is this huge mental block that makes me panic whenever I see variables in a fraction. I just automatically figure I don't know how to solve it. This bothers me because I'm not stupid, and I know I can learn this stuff, but how do I get around this mental handicap I've had for 30 years? I have seriously considered backing out, but a big part of me won't let me whimp out on such a great opportunity. But, it may be taken out of my hands. If I can't satisfy the trainers after this weekend, the decision will be made for me. Wish me luck.