While my grades in Algebra 1 and 2 may lead one to believe I knew what was going on, those classes were agonizing for me. I can still vividly remember the frustration I felt because nothing seemed to make any sense and my ability to memorize steps is sub-par. To this day I find it easier to remember only the formula for the volume of a sphere and then use calculus to find the formula for surface area rather than actually memorize to formula for surface area.
Strange, I know. But it works for me.
In my last post I was thinking about what it’s like to not know something. But in addition to not knowing, I think the utter confusion one can feel in a classroom is also something important to keep in mind while teaching and lesson planning and working with students. To that end my mental index popped out the card for a skit from the British sketch comedy show That Mitchell & Webb Look called Numberwang. Yes, yes, I know it sounds like I am leading you to a dark place on the internet, but I’m not. Look:
There are other episodes along with A History of Numberwang, which I recommend watching as well. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
I asked some tweeps if they had seen the skit before, and Carl Oliver came back with this:
As that kid without conceptual understanding in algebra, this skit is pretty much exactly what it was like in class for me. Confusing, almost no stated rules I understood, and at any moment the scene might change or I might be shoved in a box for not achieving Wangernumb.
Next time I go to make lessons for others, I need to keep this skit in mind and think about how I can plan for conceptual mental grappling and not just learned memorized performance in front of a live studio audience.
That’s Numberwang.
Learning to Fold 
Reblogged this on Carl's Teaching Blog and commented:
Always Honored to get a shot out from @mythagon
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