When I was little I loved jigsaws. I was good at Maths until Year 5. Then we moved overseas and I missed a few important things, like short division. When we returned I was in high school. My new teacher was a brilliant mathematician but couldn’t fathom my inability to get things the first time (I’d been put in the top maths class). It wasn’t until long after leaving school that I learned there was an actual purpose to memorising algebraic formula, things like sine and cosine were used in the real world!
Biology was way more interesting to me. Who remembers The Web of Life textbook? I loved that book. It was a brick and I carried it one and a half kilometres to and from school for years. The Web of Life was full of interesting charts and images that related to the world around me. I loved the title too.
Image: http://www.amandacurtin.com
Last week was National Science Week and each morning I’d hoped to receive the first ten copies of my new book, Munjed Al Muderis – from refugee to surgical inventor. Today they arrived at last. They look great and so for me, the fun of National Science Week continues …
Munjed’s story is part of the Aussie STEM Stars series, celebrating Australian experts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. His work has made Australia a world-leader in osseointegration. Unlike me, Munjed excels in both biology and algebra! Being part of the Aussie STEM Stars series has helped me reassess the importance of STEM subjects (even maths). I’ve loved reading about Georgia Fear Ware‘s fascinating work with reptiles and cane toads as well as learning more about amazing Fiona Wood. I hope readers of all ages will enjoy this terrific new series.
diannewolfer 
I loved your comment about being taught Maths Dianne. I am an ex-teacher and understand the frustration of pupils being expected to understand concepts the first time. I used some of my trigonometry when building houses but think Arithmetic is much more useful.
Thank you 🙂 There is such beauty in maths once you get the symmetry of it all. You must be good at trig if you are building houses!!
I loved your comment about being taught Maths Dianne. I am an ex-teacher and understand the frustration of pupils being expected to understand concepts the first time. I used some of my trigonometry when building houses but think Arithmetic is much more useful.
Thank you and I wish you had been my Maths teacher 🙂
I too loved that book and the course. I took it at Albury High School, 1974-1975, when it was identified as second level short course, with much lower HSC prestige than doing physics or chemistry, yet it taught me lifelong lessons about how our wonderful planet actually functions. I am grateful to the designers and teachers for what it gave me.
Hi Adrian, where you in my year at school? I finished Year 12 in ’79.