Math problem = My brain in blender mode
I don’t know about you, but sometimes (okay, a
lot), as soon as I read a math problem, I hear a
little voice in my head:
"Dude… Matew, you’re toast. Retoast. No way
you’re solving this."
And that voice is usually right.
My head goes into blender mode: everything spins
like crazy—no off switch.
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That’s when my teacher says,
"Take a breath. Use a strategy. Don’t just go all
wild, or you’ll mess it up."
Yeah, right… like that’s so easy.
But you know what? In soccer we use strategies all
the time: defense, offense, free kicks—you name it.
In kendo too—sometimes I drop my guard on
purpose… BAM! I score an ippon (a point) and
surprise the other guy.
Even my mom’s got strategies. She’s super smart.
When I was little I refused to eat fruit and said,
"I’m not doing it and you can’t make me!"
But she knew I was terrified of vampires. So she
told me,
"Vampires hate fruit. If your blood tastes fruity,
they won’t bite you."
Guess who stuffed himself with pears and melons?
Yep, me. The most Dracula-proof kid in the whole
neighborhood!
But if something was really sweet, she’d warn me,
"Careful with that cake, Matew… vampires love
sugar. Sweet blood’s their favorite."
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And me being me, I’d eat a tiny piece and then
cover my neck. Just in case.
When we got the game console, my mom switched
tactics. It was basically a giant sign that said,
"Perfect tool for parents who want their kids to
behave."
And yeah, it usually worked.
I had tricks, too. Didn’t want to share my candy?
Easy: unwrap it, lick it, and then ask,
"Anyone want some?"
Nobody ever did. Mission accomplished.
But I know what you’re thinking: "Strategies for
math? Doesn’t this kid know AI exists?"
Of course I do. I even told my teacher. She smiled
and said,
"Matew, who fixes your bike tires?"
"My grandpa, duh," I said. "I tell him and two
minutes later it’s fixed. If it goes flat again, he fixes
it."
"That’s exactly what happens when you let AI do
your math,"said my teacher. "Someone else does
the work and you learn nothing."
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And she had a point.
My teacher told us that to solve a problem, first
you have to read it. Not reading at turbo
speed—take it slow, stay chill.
She always says there’s no prize for finishing first.
If you don’t get it, read it again and again…
because if you don’t understand the question, your
brain just yells,
"I’m not solving this, and you can’t make me!"
Whoa, that sounds familiar.
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