anyone a maths teacher?

[nix-j-c]

in my maths lessons (gcse first year) we've been taught these difficult surds.

i think one of the questions was something like proving root 8 - root 2 over root 8 + root 2 equals one third
i think the + and - might have been the other way round.
when i showed my science teacher (who is able to teach up to a level maths) he said 'are you taking your a levels early' i said 'no, why' he said ' this is a level stuff' and i told him that our maths teacher expected us to be able to do these and was disapointed when we couldn't.

i go to a very small school where theres only a couple of gcse/a level maths teachers and i havent had an oportunity to ask the others yet.

[nix-j-c]

so my question is 'how difficult do surds questions get fr gcse maths?' and is that question gcse or a level stuff?

[legend.isgod]

maths questions cause great trouble here

i suggest you concentrate on your spelling in the meantime.

[nix-j-c]

sorry about my spelling.

i'm on my laptop and i'm still getting used to the keys.

[nix-j-c]

in the revision guides and online revision sites there's barely anything on surds and we spent ages on them apparantly doing a level stuff.

[factor-fiction]

GCSE Higher tier includes surds.
But even if it weren't in the syllabus there's nothing wrong with being stretched.
The question as stated doesn't give the answer of ⅓ but to simplify the left hand side in your example just multiply top and bottom by (√8 - √2). A lot of the surds then disappear.

[nix-j-c]

i wasn't sure if i'd copied it right it was a couple of weeks ago when we did it.

my point kind of is - whats the point in doing stuff that we don't need to know yet, that wastes time (because few of the class can do it) when we could be learning stuff for our exam which is in 5 weeks time?

[factor-fiction]

Actually it's even easier than I made it sound.
Remember √8 is simply 2√2
So √8-√2 =√2
And so √8+√2 =3 √2
So your question would in fact give the answer of ⅓

[nix-j-c]

the way that you and my science teacher put it make it sound easy.

BUT
-when you've never done surds before
-are learning it with someone whose third language is english (meaning he blags his way through pronouncing things)
-because english is his third language, he's not used to writing in our letters (curly algebra x's are drawn the same as multiplying x's, z's and 2's are drawn the same, we're never quite sure if he's drawing brackets or 1's, 3's and 8's are drawn almost exactly the same)

it is very difficult to learn it.

[factor-fiction]

How does what you are saying about the quality of your maths teacher fit in with your other posting which suggests that you think bright students should not want to be teachers .
Have you tried the Mymaths site? You can use sites like this or books to supplement what you do in class.

[nix-j-c]

i'm saying that the other girl is a genius and could become something amazing but this man who calls himself a maths teacher needs to learn english some more. hardly anyone in my class understands what he says or writes on the board.

[nix-j-c]

i don't have/know a username and password that i could use.

[factor-fiction]

Your school may have one. It's worth asking.
Or a quick google search on mymaths passwords will give you some.

[factor-fiction]

for example:
http://ipb.quicksilverscreen.com/index.php?sho wtopic=74417
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php ?t=291592
Coincidentally, one of the passwords given is SURDS

[nix-j-c]

yeah i've found one.

after my description of my maths teacher i think you will understand how difficult it is to learn anything in his lessons.