Where I have been

I found this site that creates a map for you of the states you have been in...



create your own visited states map


And the countries I've been to...



Create your own visited countries map

End of the Quarter

Well, the quarter is over. I've graded almost all of my finals. Students tend not to do great on finals, which is understandable. It's because of this I try to throw in some extra credit at the end of the quarter, to balance out the final exam score. This affects some people more than others.

I've also moved out of my office, although I've been told I will be in that office for the first week of winter quarter, and then have to move to an office that was not the one I was told I would be moved into before. I know, that was a run-on sentence, but I'm a math teacher, and this is a blog, where I can do that and get away with it.

Anyhow, this may very well be my last post of the calendar year. We are heading to Arizona in a few days. Hope everyone has a happy holiday season!

The soul of math

When I took calculus for the first time, the teacher said something like "Calculus means dust; it is the elementary topic that can build gigantic structures". I've used something to that effect several times when I've talked about calculus.

Every quarter, I give a bonus assignment to students in my calculus class. I ask them to write about what they liked and disliked about the class. One student wrote a line I will use in the future when I talk about calculus. He said that calculus is "the soul of math". I love that line.

I think if students saw calculus as being so powerful, they would accept that you can't possibly understand calculus after 12 weeks (I still don't feel like I can say I completely understand calculus), and there comes a time when you accept a B grade, instead of an A. By the way, the best grade I ever got in a calculus class was a B+.

I now have a fiancée

I've never liked that word; fiancée. I just don't like it.

Anyhow, Lauren and I got engaged on Sunday. Someone asked me if I feel different. I don't. Nothing with how we live has changed, except that I'm getting tons of email from people congratulating me.

Lauren said she felt that everytime she told people, it made them happy. I think people should tell other people they got engaged, even if they didn't, just to make the other people happy. It's like the "share a smile" idea, except with engagements :)

I feel like the week is over, even though I'm working tomorrow.

I chose not to go to the CMC3 conference that a lot of people are going to, so I'm going to start reviewing for the MPS final with the class. I have to say, I love the dedication the MPS students have. I don't know if you are MPS people reading this, but if you are, you are the most dedicated group of students I've ever had, and I LOVE that !!! It's awesome to go into a class knowing that most people want to do well.

That's it for today.