In high school, I didn't realize completing the square literally means to complete the square. Here's what I mean:

Check out this @Desmos activity my coworker @JimPa23 showed me a few years ago

I did well in math in HS (even got a minor in college), and this kind of visual representation of algebraic concepts still blows me away. The way we were taught math…🙄 It might be that I’m a very visual thinker and learner, but it just never clicked like this does.

Great explanation. I remember when I first learned it - later, I combined it with differences of squares to factor quadratics [likely not in the same year though]. [e.g. x²+6x+5=x²+6x+9-9+5=(x+3)²-2²=(x+3-2)(x+3+2)=(x+1)(x+5)

Awesome

I love there are so many ways to math

I used to be good at algebra but the brain cells associated with this part of math have long since left my skull