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user-inactivated  ·  2626 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: An Axiomatic Approach to Algebra and Other Aspects of Life

    From day one, our first and foremost class norm is "Our reasoning is more important than our answer." This unfortunately, for many, goes over like a lead balloon. This is my first year that I've made this norm as explicit as naming it every day.

I can count on one hand how many of my math teachers explicitly enforced this idea through encouraging such work ethic via their rubric/grading. That alone was enough for a later instructor's motto, heard at least twice a week for the 3 years I had him, to resonate: "a problem well-defined is a problem half solved." For those it sticks with, I can assure you it will be worth it. It was for me, at least.