To have thought I would never, ever in my life, have to algebra or fractions AGAIN?

[HorseyWoman]

I though n=ydnefg3 was well behind me. I did my GCSE 7 years ago and got a pretty respectable grade, but I've had no coaching in maths since then! Not even the fact my mother did a maths degree and teaches maths, is any consolation!

I am about to start a PGCE - primary with English specialism; but we also have to be acquainted with primary level science, maths, ICT and the foundation subjects. I have to do QTS tests in Numeracy, ICT, Science and Literacy! I am ok on everything, and if I am honest, most of the maths has come flooding back, and a bit of revision on long division is all I seem to need to get me back into the flow. But I could sit there for 92 hours looking at algebra and still not understand it or what is expected of me! And I understand fractions but what's this nonsense of multiplying a fraction by a fraction (or adding, dividing, subtracting). Why can't numbers be represented by numbers in maths, rather than this stupid secret code they call algebra!?

My maths teacher was pretty rubbish and it was on the basis of my mum's knowledge and past teachers, that I got a good GCSE. I am thinking maybe if I go see one of the maths tutors at uni they might be able to help me, especially seeing as it is not my specialism and they realise many people won't have looked at maths since GCSE or O level.

I am really beginning to panic. They said we were supposed to read all these books and do all these tests on our summer break, but I haven't really had one. I only recently left my 60 hour a week nanny job, just bought all the books to read/tests to try out, and have 2 weeks til school week and 3 weeks til uni starts! Panic panic panic.

Don't know why this post is here. Am I being unreasonable to want to extinguish algebra from the planet?

Seems a bit odd to me - I certainly didn't cover any algebra in my PGCE!

I don't think I will have to cover it on my part of the pgce but will have to look at it for the qts skills test, possibly teach it if I get years 3-6 (and I do have year 5 next term!), be supervised teaching it haphazardly. I also have to fill in a needs analysis where I write down my score from all the audit tests, algebra being one, real number another, indices another, number operations another, equations, functions, graphs, reasoning and proof, measures, shape and space, probability and statistics. I think I will be put on a personal, one-to-one revision programme!

Fractions are everywhere. So are fractals.

Algebra is the stuff of life. I love it.

Hohum!

I use algebra all the time in real life. And fractions.

Would be uneasy with a primary school teacher who wasn't au fait with them.

Ask for help. You'll pick it up again .

I didn't much care for trig, but it was a pre-requisite for taking calculus, so had to do it.

I'm just imagining a brick wall there. I got a very good GCSE so should be able to do all this, but it's that word 'algebra'. It's scary! I am starting to get it more now I am actually calming down! At Exeter, we get extra help depending on competence - either personal revision programme, peer study groups or one-to-one with a tutor.

You'll be fine. I almost hyperventilated when I was expected to do some calculus once, but it was actually much easier than it seemed at A level

I think I'm expecting all this to come flooding back from 7 years ago, when I've only spent an hour looking at it! I'm also forgetting I have the next year to brush up my knowledge, and that there are people on my course that haven't looked at maths for 20+ years!

Tellusmater and expat, you sound like my mum! Actually, that's unfair. She brags about how easy maths is and how it should come just like that! You're not doing that, but I am . I guess there has to be something I get stuck on! Music will be the next one. Hehe.

Really. It will be fine. I am rediscovering all my old statistics again, 18 years on. No worries .

Algebra is as fundamental to physical sciences and engineering as punctuation is to English. (quite a few scientists I know don't seem understand the need of punctuation ).

Perhaps your mum can help explain it to you, otherwise sounds like a good idea to ask maths tutor. You probably won't be the only arts-side student with a blind spot on this matter, just more honest than some!

maths at primary level isn't that scary - not even in year 6! Don't worry - you'll probably have plenty of training.

No. But you've done it once. And honestly - everything is easier second time around.

And Maths isn't easy for me. I don't have a mathematical brain. DH on the other hand...

Thanks everyone. You've helped me calm down. I was irrationally imagining teaching at A level! LOL. With the specialisms at Exeter they do expect us to be at GCSE level for each subject, which is fair enough, but can't be expected straight away - English, Maths, Science, ICT, RE, PE, Music, Geog, History, Art, D&T. Hmmmm. I'll be fine. I'm tired and hungry so I think it's a mental block, not helped by the fact algebra scares me!

And thanks cornsilk; I know you're a teacher, so it's useful to hear that. I have year r/1 and year 5 for my placements. That's all I am really worried and I think it's in the planning.

I had to teach some Maths at KS3, and felt exactly the same (am a scientist really). But it really was fine. Apart from discovering that there are now 4 ways of doing multiplication - which was a bit of an eye-opener.

What areas are you covering in year 5?

LOL as a TA in a high school, I find myself doing many things I thought I'd seen the back of eg German, maybe French this year as well as the dreaded maths.
I am amazed though at how much maths has changed - with all the 'new fangled' methods of doing mental maths - I wish we'd been taught them back 'in my day'

Whizz, that is what I am finding, too, and I only did GCSEs in 2000!

Cornsilk, I am an English specialist, so I will be mainly covering that; but as you know, I won't be able to just teach English! I'll have to teach everything, and with the numeracy hour, maths will be inescapable. What I have seen in the classroom hasn't worried me, though. It's been what I have read in this book today (set book). I have lots to learn regarding actual teaching, but realise that most of the brushing up of knowledge is down to me.

Tellmemata, thanks for your help, too. I've really calmed down thanks to this input. I think I'm just starting to panic and so information isn't being absorbed.

The QTS tests are hard if you revise for them. I never completed my PGCE, but I did do the tests and pass them.

None of the tests are GCSE level. The stuff that eleven year olds do for their SATS is FAR harder.

Download the practice papers and see how you get on. The hardest thing is the time element. There are some strange things that I had never seen in my life like a box whisker diagrams that I had never seen in my life. This website has a lot of test material.

www.tda.gov.uk/skillstests.aspx

From what I remember most of the maths test was mental arthimetic rather than alegbra.

Do you think that someone should be allowed to become a primary school teacher if they can't do basic mental arithemetic?

I am sure that you will be fine. However I strongly recommend you get the tests out of the way as soon as you can. Once you are on placement the work level will increase massively.

"The QTS tests are hard if you revise for them"

Oops! I meant that the QTS tests aren't that hard.

I always find the examples of questions in the numeracy strategy file really helpful when I am planning Horsey. Make sure you get a copy.

Hi reallytired.

Thanks for your post. I have done loads of practice tests; I started doing them when I applied for the PGCE in prep for tests at interview. I find them really easy and, in places, laughable. That is why I don't understand why this stuff is so hard. I do remember this stuff during my SATs, though (I was first year of SATs), so can see it being useful in school, which is why I am a bit jittery about it all. It is slowly coming back to me, although some of it I have to read a dozen times!!

PS. I find mental maths really easy and think the QTS tests are vital to weeding out people who can't do simple maths. But I am finding algebra hard, be it because i am having a mental block, the fact it was years ago or whether I flunked an A at GCSE!

Thanks cornsilk.