I had a pretty good week this week. This is noteworthy because as a high school
math teacher, I’m pretty much the most hated man in America. (After this election I may be down to number
two or three.)
In my Honors Algebra 2 w/ Trigonometry classes, I continued
my deliciously exciting lectures on the conic sections. We explored, graphed, and wrote equations for
circles, parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas.
This is tough stuff for kids when even after they show understanding of
the basics; we raise the bar and challenge them to write the equation of the
hyperbola only given its asymptotes and one of its vertices.
The kids are working on conics and systems of conics both in
and out of class and they are improving every day. I taught using chalk and I taught using
technology. I taught from bell to bell. More importantly, they learned. Each check for understanding along the way
has been outstanding. I had a pretty
good week this week teaching Honors Algebra 2 w/ Trigonometry.
In my Calculus classes, we concluded our curve-sketching
unit. Students graph nasty functions by
finding both the first and second derivatives.
They find where a curve is either increasing or decreasing and where it
is either concave up or concave down.
They combine this with all intercepts, asymptotes and relative extrema
to sketch impressively difficult functions.
They are killing it.
They are killing it working alone and they are killing it working in
groups. Next week we review for the chapter test but we are close to ready
right now. They are learning math while
not hating life. I had a good week this
week in Calculus.
Today, Saturday, me and about 40 of my colleagues hosted our
Open House / 8th Grade Welcome, “Dolphin Experience” at my
school. Incoming 8th graders
and their parents heard presentations from each department, and every sport on
campus. The band was playing and the
cheerleaders were cheerleadering and we did a pretty good job of showing off
what we do well both in and out of the classroom. I answered dozens of from parents about the Mathematics program here. It was fun and I think I repped my school
pretty darn well. I had a good week this
week.
Then I went on the internet and found out I’m a horrible
human being. It seems that the debate
over Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has re-ignited the conversation about how
badly I do my job. Me, the classroom
teacher, I’m the problem. I am the
reason public schools are failing. I
read how lazy I am. I read how overpaid
I am. I read how I’m a union thug
drinking from the public trough. (I
really read that) I read story after
story from people who think public schools are failing because of public school
teachers.
I thought I had a pretty good week.