You’re here, so you must be a grownup and you must have some curiosity about math. Maybe you are a real, live math geek, who wants to see how I might screw up, water down or otherwise make a mess of the Queen of the Sciences.*
Or perhaps a friend said, “You should check out this site because this girl is plain crazy. She thinks anyone can do math. She clearly hasn’t met you or me yet!”
Or maybe you’re a writer who heard that some math person said that even wordsmiths can benefit from a little bit of math. (Don’t most writers major in English to avoid math?)
Or did you find this blog by googling a math concept so that you could help your kid with his homework?
It doesn’t matter how you got here, but let’s get a few things straight:
- Laura is not a pure mathematician. She got her degree in math education and taught high school for four years. Truth be told, she’s much more interested in how people think about math than she is in getting the right answer. (Surprised?) She will make mistakes, and anyone is free to point them out. Just be nice.
- Yeah, she is that girl who is convinced anyone can do math. You’re not stupid and neither is the friend who sent you here. Her premise is simple — you can do math, and you might even learn to love it but you don’t have to. (At the very least, you’ll be darned proud of yourself.)
- Laura is interested in addressing everyday math problems facing writers, parents, teachers and other grownups. She’s not here to help you get your homework done. So if you plan to contact her for help with your Algebra II assignments, think again. You might find some of her posts provide homework help, but that’s not the point.**
Laura Laing is a self-proclaimed math evangelist. She rejects the idea that you are not good at math. Did you embrace that label? Quite possibly. Did you forget the tools that you need to do the basic math required to get through the day? It’s likely. Are you afraid of math? Maybe. Can you overcome all of these challenges? Abso-tootin’-lutely.
(Psst… if you are afraid of math, don’t forget to get the free gift Laura’s offering: Multiply Your Math Moxie: A Painless Guide to Overcoming Math Anxiety. Just sign up in the bright yellow box on the right. So easy!)
So hang on for the ride. Take a quiz or two. Review PEMDAS. Check out one of Laura’s online training courses. And of course take a peek at Laura’s books.
Before you know it, you’ll be calculating that tip or finding your hourly rate or explaining the order of operations to your kid — all with ease and grace. Take that, math!
*For the uninitiated: Math is the Queen of the Sciences. It’s the language that helps us explore the world scientifically. All hail the Queen!
**Laura would love to write a book and start a blog just for parents who don’t understand what Ms. Bloom is trying to teach their dear son or dear daughter. But that’s for another day. (By the way, you’re not crazy. Math is being taught differently, but it’s a good thing.)