“Tom, be sure you study hard and do well – especially in math. And you’ll never have to work like this.” These words came from my Dad when I was very young. He delivered Table Talk pies to restaurants and grocery stores. Waking up at 4 AM every day, carrying 80 pounds of pies in each hand over snow banks and icy sidewalks in Boston – it was not easy. He never liked the job, and wished better for me. For some reason, his simple advice drove me intensely. I thought about his words often, studied very hard, did well, and have had the opportunity to pick jobs which I knew I would like. Which was my Dad’s wish.
I’m halfway through a 4 day assignment substitute teaching little humans called fifth graders. I’m teaching English, Vocabulary, History, Writing, Reading – and Math. It’s an impressive school with an ambitious curriculum. These curious young minds are learning how to understand and manage data sets, the difference between median and average, how to graph sets of numbers to better understand them, and how outliers can influence what we deduce from the set. Obviously, they are learning this at a basic level, which is fortunate for me since I’m teaching it. We looked at several examples where average and median were vastly different numbers, and where median actually gave a more accurate representation of what we are looking for. These children are learning concepts which they may well use through graduate school. They are also learning how to understand numbers, and groups of numbers, which many of us adults find very difficult.
As I teach each math class, I think of my Dad and I imagine these young children meeting him. He would sit them down, and give them wonderful insights. He would inspire them and enrich their lives. He would have them laughing. And he would probably give them a slice of delicious pie. For a moment in time everything would be perfect.