Y-intercepts and slopes and graphs, oh my!

Yes, I am back on the topic of Algebra. This is going to be the year of Algebra. I just can't get away from it. Kind of like a recurring nightmare.

Last night, before the last of my party guests was even out the driveway, Brooke came into the living room and said "Can Caitlyn come over? We have an algebra assignment due tomorrow that we can't figure out and she thinks that if we work together we can get it." Well, as always, I was a good sport and agreed. So, in a blink of an eye, Caitlyn and her dad were at the door. I told her Dad that I would be happy to drive her home when they were done (I don't know what came over me!), but he said he had nothing better to do and would wait ("Would you like to help clean up my kitchen? I just had 36 people here for a party").

So, the girls settled in the living room to compare their work. And I sat down to try and help. I didn't even remember that y-intercepts and slopes existed and I definitely didn't remember that they could be graphed! But it is like riding a bike. Well, maybe not quite that easy, but I was able to help a little and an hour and a half later Caitlyn and her Dad (who had been watching the Giants-Cowboys game in my family room by himself while Eric put Daniel to bed -- he even let the dog out!) were on their merry way with the assigment done to everyone's satisfaction.

Gee, I hope we get a good grade!

Algebra update

I think I posted earlier this week that Brooke is having a tough time in Algebra so far this year. Well, strangely enough, I am thrilled to report that she currently has a 70.9 average!!! Woo hoo! This is a strange reaction for me to a C- average (she has never gotten a C on her report card and has 90+ averages in every other subject), but since this time last week she had a 69.4 average (a D) and had lost her text messaging priviliges I am thrilled at her progress. She had 3 quizzes this week -- she got 11 out of 12 on the first one, 13 out of 14 on the second one, and 1 out of 3 (OK, this is not so hot) on the third one. I am seeing some real effort on her part (still a little attitude), but some real sweat (and alot of eye rolling and exasperated sighs) went into those three grades this week. (Brooke especially loves when she sits down to do her homework and I say "Wait, let me just run and get my Algebra notebook")

Now, if we could only get this Algebra teacher to lay off the quizzes and let us just get this marking period behind us! She is hanging on to that C- by her finger nails! No such luck, though... another quiz on Monday... Stay tuned...