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Estimation is Reasonable

  Estimation is the one task from elementary school math that drove me CRAZY! Why would I estimate if I could just FIND the answer OR measure OR count and find the "REAL" answer.  It's taken awhile, but I've come around to appreciate this skill a bit more - check out why I think estimation is a reasonable (and important) skill for students of all ages to practice and hone to be better consumers of data.   Estimation is Reasonable What do you think? Do you estimate regularly? Do you ask your children to estimate? 
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3D thinking - early and often!

I'm guessing that if you grew up around the same time I did, you experienced a similar progression. Master the 2 dimensional shapes and their measurements (perimeter and area) and then move on to the 3 dimensional shapes and their measurements. Throughout this process, at least in my elementary years, I'm fairly certain not a single elementary teacher I had in front of me had a degree (major or minor) in mathematics. So they did what they'd always done, show some pictures in books and talk about formulas and calculations. Once we made the leap to 3D though, my brain really struggled to "see" what was on the paper as taking up space - even with the paper nets we cut and taped into 3D objects. Do you suffer from the same affliction I do?  I can't say that my parents didn't ask me to do this often enough or not, but I certainly needed some more practice!  Don't shy away from letting your child do this kind of spatial thinking. Have them order containers s...
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It's about the learning not the grade.

  I hope you (and the children/students in your life) had the chance to watch the Perseverance land on Mars recently. Or see the Dragon launch last year. Every single one of the astronauts, engineers,  and technicians had years of schooling to prepare for THAT MOMENT. Every doctor or nurse has been trained through lectures, tests, and field experiences.  Something that strikes me every year around this time, as our seniors are making college decisions and our juniors are taking the ACT and beginning the application process, is that not one person in any interview I've ever had has asked me about my grades or GPA. We have tied up so much time and energy into thinking that only the best survive, but we KNOW that can't be true.  All that does is overstress our teens and lead them to believe that successful people never struggle. That is a damaging belief - especially when internalized by students who are struggling.  Here's my take on grades: 
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