Student: Can you walk me through this problem because I don't understand anything we did today.
Me: Okay, what do you think you should do first?
Student: Um, the exponent.
Me: Okay, do that.
Student: Okay, now what do I do?
Me: Well, you have subtraction and division, which one do you do first?
Student: Division.
Me: Okay, so do the division.
Student: What do you mean?
Me: Do the division part of the problem. Divide those two numbers.
Student: I don't know what you're saying.
Me: Take those two numbers and divide them.
Me: Okay, what do you think you should do first?
Student: Um, the exponent.
Me: Okay, do that.
Student: Okay, now what do I do?
Me: Well, you have subtraction and division, which one do you do first?
Student: Division.
Me: Okay, so do the division.
Student: What do you mean?
Me: Do the division part of the problem. Divide those two numbers.
Student: I don't know what you're saying.
Me: Take those two numbers and divide them.
Student: I don’t get it.
Me: Take this number and divide it by this number.
Student: So, I subtract them?
Me: No, you divide them. See, there is a division sign which means divide.
Student: Why wouldn’t I subtract?
Me: The problem has a division sign. It’s telling you to divide. Why would you subtract when there’s a division sign?
So your student never learned that dividing is figuring out 'how many times a number goes into another number'?!
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