Mr. Mecham celebrates GEMDAS — Mr. Mecham celebrating GEMDAS!

Learning is fun! This is not a new idea. At TCPS we emphasize to students that learning CAN be fun and we find ways to model this belief, leading by example. We know that the more we can engage students, the more interested they will be in learning, exploring new approaches, grasping new concepts, and experiencing joy in learning. As an example, there is a lot of creativity that can be brought out in math class. Individual students in grades K - 8 may approach math in many ways, using different math strategies, but also sharing ideas, using manipulatives, journaling, and using creativity, color and art in math. We adopt a growth mindset in all of our classes at TCPS, encouraging students to see learning as risking uncertainty and making mistakes when trying new skills, thus leading to the goal of reaching new heights in learning. In small classes with trusted teachers, students feel safe to do just that.

Recently middle school math teacher, Mr. Mecham, established a new holiday at TCPS, just for math. That holiday is GEMDAS Day. Happy GEMDAS Day!

The short history of GEMDAS Day at TCPS: In middle school, for two weeks at the beginning of the year, in the “preseason” of math class, students begin by reviewing the math textbook for the year to come, trying out math problems in each of the units. Through this exercise they discover that even though the new year of math is just beginning, there are many skills that are already familiar. During this path of discovery they see they will be able to leverage math skills they already know in their approach to the new year, “stacking” their skills, which can help learning a new year of math seem less daunting. At the conclusion of this review, GEMDAS is a day to celebrate the end of this preseason of math, reflect on math of years past, and look forward to the new math skills they will soon develop. Each student received the gift of a “GEMDAS” paper lantern, to be illuminated by the light of math knowledge to come. The holiday was celebrated as many holidays are, by the distribution and unwrapping of gifts and treats: math textbooks and Smarties candies!

Some may think GEMDAS is a newly made up word - but it is not! Think back to your days as a young math student and you may recall the order of operations and “GEMDAS” which is a learning aid for remembering the order of operations in math: Grouping; Exponents; Multiplication/Division; Addition/Subtraction. While this is not new, it IS kind of a fun way to remember.

Mr. Mecham noted: “Most simply, math textbooks were distributed to the middle school students which is a relatively mundane task, but I wanted to make it fun! GEMDAS is a holiday with some seemingly silly ways to celebrate math, but sometimes being a little silly allows us to relax and laugh without the anxiety or trauma that some may have experienced while learning math in the past. Math can be hard, at times, for most students. Students may struggle sometimes, but that is a good thing because that is when growth can occur, so long as it is a productive struggle (i.e. growth mindset). We have to remember that math can be fun, and we can be silly, so that we don’t start experiencing frustrating struggle and believing that math hates us (and conversely, that we hate math). As the song says “Mathematics loves you!” And, one day, you may love it back!” (note: you can see the song lyrics below…)

At the heart of it, this creative activity made the relatively mundane task of distributing math textbooks fun and helped to lighten the mood. Getting a big new textbook may seem daunting and bring on feelings of trepidation or anxiety, especially to students who feel math is not their strength. Having these feelings about math or about any subject can make it more difficult to approach the year and feel like they will be pushing uphill the entire way. Starting off with the preseason of math shows students that there is much they already know and this gives them the building blocks to learn more and helps get them started on the right foot in the new year. A confident student approaches their work much differently than an anxious student. What better way to start than to show each one they have the building blocks to approach the year with confidence!

Curious to learn more about how we encourage all students to approach learning with confidence and joy and learn to be their best selves in school? Request info or a tour HERE or send an email to info@tcps.org or admissions@tcps.org or give us a call at (858) 576-2120. Happy GEMDAS Day!

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For the curious: here is more about GEMDAS Day at TCPS:

GEMDAS is a day to celebrate the end of the preseason of math. GEMDAS is a time to reflect on all the math that we have learned in the past and to look forward to learning new concepts and developing new skills. The GEMDAS lanterns students receive are illuminated by the light of math knowledge to honor the lessons of the past. The anticipation of what we will learn builds through the preseason and culminates in the opening of the wrapped gifts (this year’s textbooks) left by Euclid the Elephant. Known for his ability to remember mathematical formulas, Euclid the Elephant sprays magic fairy dust on the gifts to help students to remember all that they will learn from those textbook gifts. Before opening the GEMDAS gifts, students wish each other a joyful GEMDAS and then sing some carols like these:

(to the tune of the “Twelve Days of Christmas”)
On the first day of GEMDAS, Euclid gave to me the y- and x- axes.
On the second day of GEMDAS, Euclid gave to me two parabolas and the y- and x-axes.
On the third day of GEMDAS, Euclid gave to me…

(to the tune of “Happy Birthday”)
Joyful GEMDAS to you!
Joyful GEMDAS to you!
Joyful GEMDAS to everyone!
Mathematics loves you!

**No holiday is complete without tasty treats, and the GEMDAS tradition is to eat Smarties as a symbol of filling our minds and our hearts with the joy of math!

HAPPY GEMDAS DAY TO YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS!