Teachers’ attitude toward math shapes elementary students’ learning curve

Scarlet Peterson is much happier chasing tadpoles in the Clark Fork River this summer than she was in fifth-grade math class last spring.

That said, her fifth-grade math experience was much sunnier than her fourth grade one. The difference was in one teacher’s appreciation of mathematics and the other’s aversion to elementary school’s most troublesome subject.

“That teacher would just say a little bit and send us off to do a paper,” Scarlet said. “She only encouraged things like writing and science.”

By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/07/14/news/local/news03.txt