I've been an adult education teacher for eight years. Like many in the field, I've taught a variety of subjects. I've worked with lots of different students, all struggling with their own personal trials and tribulations. Nothing seems to compare, however, to the fear and loathing of mathematics that so many GED learners bring to class. "Does the test have word problems? I can't do those." "Why does the science have math stuff in it?" and "Can't I just skip the math?" were all questions I heard regularly.

Many math books weren't working very well for the learners in my class, especially learning disabled students. Even the best books were wordy, visually unappealing, and dry. I used a variety of approaches, such as manipulative use and group work, but because of time constraints, multi-level/multi-subject classes, and differing skill levels, students still needed books for independent study. The trouble was, learners were often unable to use them without becoming de-motivated and requiring significant one-on-one assistance. I found that the students faring worst were the ones with ADD and LD, the ones who were not strong visualizers, and the ones who had reflexive thoughts of, "forget it!" whenever math was mentioned.

Math is real. It is not supposed to be scary or disconnected from its real-life purposes. Math, like science and art, is naturally rooted in our physical existence -- that is, until somebody plucks it up, strips it of its images and causes, and drops it lifelessly onto a clean white page. Often, despite the tiny size of the letters and cryptic examples given, there is still little space left in which students can stretch out cognitively. This didn't make sense to me. We all know that a classroom without enough space is uncomfortable, and that crowded cities have high crime rates.

Clearly, our brains need space, and when it isn't present, we're unhappy. If the learners in my class were going to be successful in math, they would first have to be happy.

Hey Wake Up!
Students also needed a visually stimulating book that explained math in the same conversational style I used in class. They needed a book that got straight to the mathematical point, sidestepping excessive verbiage and shouting out, "Hey, wake up and try this! Math is great, you can be good at it, and whoever has told you any different is wrong!" I knew the book was unlikely to materialize; in fact, it never did. My students and I settled for my repeatedly saying those types of things as often as possible.

This past year, however, I got the chance to develop a student-centered GED math book for the Northeast YALD (Young Adults with Learning Disabilities) Project, for which I've been a practitioner trainer since 1995. The book would address the math learning difficulties observed in GED classrooms, using information gathered from my work.

I visualized the book I wanted learners to have. I put what I knew about ABE teaching into it. I wrote it in the teaching style my students have helped me develop by showing me what works for them. I left space here and there, and put in plenty of interesting graphics. I named it "Fast Math" because of its simplified style and pointed approach. When it was finished, I brought it to my classroom for a field test. It has since become a favorite, and my students keep asking me if I'll make a similar book for the other GED subjects. I don't know if I will, but the question sounds much better to me than "Can't I just skip the math?"

Michelle Ede is a GED/ESOL teacher for Haverhill Community Action. She can be reached by e-mail at: npsn@greennet.net