It’s just another way of solving the same problem

I believe that I am Gavin’s first teacher. 

Math is one of those subjects where two people do not need to speak the same language, but can still make a connections with one another. 

Rather than ridiculing the way that “new math” is taught, I showed Gavin different ways of working through math problems, and that he can always use different ways to verify the correct answer. 

There’s always different ways to look at things, people organize facts differently, and we all think our way is the most simplest/efficient. Not everything has to be a race or competition to finish first. 

Even after all the lessons, it’s not even about teaching Gavin different ways of doing math anymore and it’s about taking a breath to witness how different people may be playing the same hand to get the same answer - and modifying what he’s seeing to update his strategy/way of thinking, if needed. 

Lots of chess playing, card games, and puzzle games in our household lol