The Math Question
May 2, 2018 Uncategorized 5 comments msheehy18
A stupid question? Do they even exist? If so, what even is a stupid question? How do you know if you have asked one? Well I can tell you right now there is such a thing as a stupid question. If you do ask a horrible question, depending on the person, you may not get the reaction you expected and you could be embarrassed for a few minutes. Although, there are some questions that you end up questioning on asking someone that may not even be stupid. People may actually believe that your question was worth asking them and praise you for being brave enough and eventually asking them the question.
In my middle school years I believed myself to be pretty average when it came to math class. I may not have understood the material from class at first, but I had always worked through it and would eventually know what I am doing pretty well. On the other hand, high school math has not been so easy. It takes a lot more practice and you have to ask a whole lot of questions to make sure you really know what is happening. Many of the questions I have asked in just Precalculus this year has been pretty stupid if you ask me, so when it came to the new question that popped up into my head this one class, I did not know whether I should actually ask the question or just let it go.
We began Pre-Calc class that day by starting on a new section of notes. Our teacher passes out little packets of notes for us to follow along with and she goes through the packet with us on the board. I love these notes and how she goes through them with us. Most to all of us have to ask questions at some point during this process though, even though everyone in the room listens intently and writes down everything just as we are told to do. The others around me always ask questions that are really intelligent, that I never would have thought about asking the teacher in the first place. Until that one class, something had changed.
While taking notes that one class, something, a question, had appeared into my head. Which is quite unusual for me, for I usually just sit there and listen to what my other classmates have to ask about the new sections we begin to cover. I had experience the light bulb turning inside my for one of the first times ever. I had no idea what to do at first. I stared at the board. Then I continued to stare at the board to completely analyze it and the information that had been written on it. I did this only to make sure that before I asked the question it was not already there and I would not sound stupid in front of the entire class. Turns out I could not find the information on the board so I raised my hand nervously and finally decided that I would ask my question.
Once I had asked my question, I was extremely happy that I had done so. Even though I am content with asking my question, I felt a little stupid at the first. The teacher had answered the question quite quickly and confidently at first. Then she began to question herself and the answer she had given the class and I. Turns out, she was actually wrong and began to stand and really think about the question. She then turned from the board and walked over to her Pre-Calc on the desk next to her. While everyone was silent and all everyone could hear was the flipping pages of the math book I began to think of how much of an annoyance to the class I must have been. I began to regret my decision on whether to ask the question on not. After what felt like year she had finally found a final answer to my question and then added the new information into the notes due to my question. It felt great to have been able to ask an intelligent question in a higher level math class.
Later in that class, we were given class time to work on the homework that would later be assigned on the new information we had just learned from class earlier. One of the first questions we had to complete had involved the information from the question I had asked. I was so proud of myself for somehow thinking of the question and then building up the courage to ask the question.
With this experience I had learned that it is okay to ask question. Yes, you may seem stupid when you ask a specific question, but it will all be worth it in the end. It may not seem like that at first, but if you do not ask you never know what will happen. It may become a situation similar to mine, but it could also turn into something you could laugh about for hours in the end. No matter, do not think, just ask.
5 Comments
This is a really good post Maegan. It is very important to ask questions and this proves it. How do you think your teacher felt after that she must have been pretty embarrassed?
I really liked your post, I think it is very relateable. Everyone has surely at one point or another struggled through math class. I like how you were able to able to be positive from your experience, it made it even better!
This this is a really good post! I am sure many students can relate to situations like this including myself. Way to look at the bright side with this and explaining it very well!
I agree ltherrien18! Students are scared to ask questions a lot because they don’t want to sound silly. Looking on the bright side is what many students need to learn to do so it makes their high school experience better. We need to ask questions in school so we get a better learning experience. Us students don’t want to sound silly in front of other students but sometimes we need to take the risk to fulfill a better and happier life.
I like what swood18 said. It’s so easy to be judged by our peers or even our own friends sometimes. We don’t want to be embarrassed, and it’s even worse when it’s something your closest friends never forget and bring up time and time again, but that’s why looking at the bright side can really help in these types of situations. Sometimes the embarrassment is worth the knowledge you could get from asking the “stupid” question.