ATTITUDE
I cannot believe it, but more than fifty years ago – while still on active duty and visiting a Junior High School somewhere in North Carolina and speaking to one of the classes about my experiences in Special Forces – I recall being asked by one young man “what was the most important thing about being successful as a Special Forces soldier?”
Without hesitating, I replied ATTITUDE! I went on to explain to the young men and women in that classroom why attitude was so important, recalling that I had mentioned several times that ATTITUDE had to always be one hundred percent of one’s efforts in Special Forces. As I surveyed the room – while continuing to speak – I observed the young man who had asked that question had stopped paying attention.
The silence in the room – brought about by my having stopped talking – caused the young man to suddenly look up and in an excited gesture he wildly waved his arm. Just as I was just about to ask him why he had asked me the question then failed to pay attention, he shouted “Sir, your right ATTITUDE does equal 100!”
The young man excitedly jumped up from his desk and, running up to where I was standing, showed me the piece of paper with his arithmetic clearly displayed. Having 26 letters in our alphabet, the young man had assigned a numerical value to each letter from A=1 to Z=26, then he had circled the letters in ATTITUDE as follows: A =1,D = 4, E= 5, I = 9, T= 20, and U = 21. Then he had neatly added them up to reflect that he was correct ATTITUDE = 100!
I told this story every year to my new freshmen High School Math classes. Invariably there was always one freshman boy – who would ask why there were only 48 stars on the “FLAG” displayed in my room. (See NOTE: at the end of this paragraph) – I never was asked that question by any of the freshman girls. I always assumed they knew that we would eventually get to why the story and what it had to do with their algebra class.
NOTE: The term “Color” appropriately describes the flag of the United States trimmed on three sides with gold fringe. The material for the flag itself is usually silk since it is meant to be used indoors and in special ceremonies, which is why the command “Post the Colors” is used. So the question “Mr. Reed how come there are only 48 stars on your flag?” received the following response: “Young man, it is not referred to as a Flag but as a Color, and your mission is to find out why there are only 48 stars on it and report back to this class tomorrow.”
Now, what has this all have to do with mathematics? Well, I would then go on to discuss that very question with the new incoming freshmen. I told them that I could not understand why parents would spend several hours outdoors to brave the cold, rain, and sometimes even snow – or – spend several hours each day in a hot sweaty gym to watch their sons and daughters practice sports – and then call me to tell me that these same outstanding young athletes kept complaining about spending an hour on their mathematics every evening.
You don’t jump out of a perfectly good aircraft at 20,000 ft and wonder – as you’re exiting that aircraft and plummeting earthward at over 200mph – if your parachute will open. Nor do you wonder just before you strike the ground that you will break an ankle or foot or knee in a poor landing. Nor do you upon entering a combat zone – and find yourself being shot at – wonder if you will come out of it alive.
These ATTITUDES are not acceptable any more than moaning and groaning about spending an hour doing math homework is. As parents and homeschool educators it is our responsibility to be cheerleaders for these future leaders within our society. If your student receives a minimum score of 80 on a Saxon math test they have mastered enough concepts to move on in the book. That score of 80 – on a weekly cumulative Saxon Math test – equates to an “A” in other non-Saxon math textbooks that utilize a review section before taking their periodic tests. Saxon’s weekly cumulative tests determine what the student has mastered – as opposed to what he would have memorized from the review just before taking a test in the other math curriculums.
If you have not already read them, please take a few minutes and read the following news articles: March, April, May, July, August, and September of 2023. If you still have concerns or need a specific question or situation resolved, feel free to email me at the following email address: art.reed@usingsaxon.com. Please include your telephone number in case I need to call you to ask an important question or two to ensure a more accurate reply.