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Waiting to Go to the Pep Rally

Thu, 10 Oct 2024, 01:12 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

The bell rang. The kids began to move to the door. I called them back.

“They’ll call for second floor when they’re ready for you to go to the pep rally.” 

So the students milled about the room. Began to talking loudly. Wormed towards the door. After all, it would only a minute or so.

Then a voice came over the PA, but I couldn’t clearly hear what they said over the hubbub in the room. The kids began to leave.

“Nope,” I said loudly. “They’ll call us.”

There were objections. There were corrections. They looked at me as they do when I trip over myself squeezing between the desks, an “Are you feeling ok?” kind of look. 

“Did they call us?” I asked.

“Yes,” they insisted. 

“Go!” I said, waving them on in a Tracy Ullman way.

They streamed into the hall, turned left, and headed to the gym.

Problem is, other than them, the halls were empty. Ghostly quiet. And five minutes later, a voice came over the PA, “Second floor may go to the pep rally.”

They so scammed me.

Silent Sunday

Sun, 6 Oct 2024, 10:05 AM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

fall asters have started blooming

#silentsunday #fall-asters

Lizards and Grubs

Sun, 29 Sep 2024, 04:47 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

The Anole on the bench is comfortable with us. It seems to know that we bring water, that we pose no risk. If we move slowly and predictably, it chooses to remain still while keeping a watchful eye on us.

rendition of an anole watching from the arm of the bench

We’ve never seen and adult Stag Beetle here, although we’ve seen an abandoned black carapace. There is a kindergarten of larvae in our compost pile right now, each easily larger than my thumb. Certainly we’ll see an adult this year?

a heap of stag beetle larvae

Silent Sunday

Sun, 29 Sep 2024, 02:45 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

purple trailing lantana

#silentsunday

It’s Got Slope

Thu, 26 Sep 2024, 05:28 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

The two of them walked up after the test. 

“Can we go give Mr. Smith a sticker?” they asked.

These two are crazy about stickers. I’ve seen them shuffling thru sheets of them pointing and laughing. And they’ve gone to Mr. Smith before.

I confess that I don’t understand this. I’ve previously had students who had a similar love of stickers and a student teacher who gave them out to students much to the their everlasting glee. So although I don’t understand it, I recognize that’s on me.

“Yes,” I said. “Come back.”

“We will!” 

Ten minutes later they came back and resumed shuffling and laughing. Then they came up, holding three sheets splayed out.

“Mr. Hasan,” they said. “Pick a sticker. Any sticker.”

I inspected the options.

“It needs to match the STOP sticker you gave me the other day,” I mumbled. 

“How about this one?” one of them asked, pointing to the very one I was about to choose.

I pealed it off the sheet.

“I’ll put it on my coffee bottle all cattywampus. Like this. What do you think?” 

stickers on my coffee thermos

“Very nice,” they said. “It’s got slope!” 

Years Behind Me

Mon, 23 Sep 2024, 07:36 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

We didn’t have much time. His grandmother was coming to get him soon. We had a couple more algebra problems to review, a couple more equations to write.

Then she stuck her head in thru the door, flashing eyes, floating hair. She shouted over to him. 

“He’s a good teacher, you know.”

And then they said some things that I didn’t quite catch — maybe something to do with my shirt.

Space Shuttle STS 125 logo

“What?” I asked them.

“You got a backstory, Mr. Hasan!” he said.

“You’ve got years behind you!” she said.

Years behind me. They got that right.

Silent Sunday

Sun, 22 Sep 2024, 05:10 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

grub of a stag beetle from our compose pile

#silentsunday #biggerthanmylittlefinger

Negative Numbers

Sun, 22 Sep 2024, 10:47 AM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

1. A High School Math Teacher’s Lament

Something’s not happening in middle school math.

For six+ years, students have been showing up in my Algebra 2 classes with little ability to think about (much less calculate with) fractions or negative numbers. You’ll hear this from any high school math teacher you talk to. And it seems to be true of kids in both advanced and regular classes.

Let’s talk about negatives…

My guess (based on no data) is that much like cursive or long division or how to hold a pencil or even keyboarding, teaching fractions and negative numbers has been abandoned in middle school. With so much to curriculum to cover, with so many standardized tests to administer, and with calculators so ubiquitously present, I’m tempted to think that the negative numbers have been dropped by the wayside.

I know. I know. I’m whining. Thing’s just aren’t like they were in the good old days. They don’t have to do what we had to do. I’m fully aware of how this sounds. And full disclosure, the comment on an old report card of mine, David isn’t learning his math facts, might be important to add into this mix (although truth be told that was elementary school).

Yet it’s getting in the way of teaching Algebra 2.

2. A YouTube Video

This morning I watched a video on YouTube. The teacher was at a whiteboard teaching how to solve linear systems of equations by elimination. The core skill has little to do per se with the arithmetic of negative numbers. Yet if you don’t understand the arithmetic, you’re doomed. 

I watch the video in disbelief as the teacher introduces elimination and the kids enthusiastically shout out the answers to the underlying arithmetic. They don’t hesitate. Their responses are instant — and correct. When asked to add -5 and 7, they shout “two!”, not “twelve”. (I have kids who will look at me as if I am from Mars when I say -5 + 7 = 2.)

Ok, who are these kids? Where is this school? That is obviously relevant. But then I look down and see that the video was filmed eleven years ago.

Is that really it? In the last decade, have middle schools simply abandoned teaching negative numbers? From my vantage point, it sure seems so. And as a result, if I am to teach the core skills, I am left with no alternative but to tell them “Go get a calculator.” 

And thereby I become part of the problem.

Girlish Figures

Sat, 21 Sep 2024, 03:50 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

1. Shorts

It was afternoon after work. We were changing into comfy clothes. I had just put on a beige pair of shorts and was buckling the belt. I reached for a T-shirt and looked across the room. There were my beige shorts lying on my pillow. And my belt.

Wait, what?

“Why are my beige shorts doing over there?” I muttered aloud as I ran my hands along the beige shorts I had just put on.

Trudy overheard me, looked up, and burst into laughter. I had just put on her shorts and buckled her belt around my waist.

“Ahh,” I said, striking a pose. “Do you like my girlish figure?”

2. Ice Cream

The Fair And Industrious Trudy is in Montreal — ergo Friday night dinner at a sub shop she doesn’t particularly like. I sat outdoors in the cool evening 92 degree breeze and ate a Hook and Ladder with Sea Salt chips. And then (the evening breeze was at fault), I walked down to Whole Foods for some ice cream. 

It felt like a late-night college dorm run to the rip-off tienda in the basement. I stood at the freezer doors gazing in long-forgotten wonderment. Initially tempted by Caramel and Salt Lick, I settled on Butterscotch Pecan Blondie. My grandfather would have approved.

This was remarkable, because I have not been able to taste anything for almost nine years, including sweets. Since the radiation therapy, ice cream has been nothing but a cool feeling on the inside of my mouth. But oh did that Butterscotch Pecan Blondie taste mighty fine. 

So much for that girlish figure.

Being Earnest

Tue, 17 Sep 2024, 07:30 PM (-06:00) Creative Commons License

She came walking across the room as everyone else was walking out the door. There was a smile on her face, which is not really saying much, since she is always smiling.

“Mi Mila. What’s up?” I asked.

“Mr. Hasan,” she said. “I just want to say thank you for teaching us so … earnestly.”

I smiled and tried to think what it is that I do “earnestly”. Maybe it was… But of course that misses the point. She had just given me a stunningly wonderful compliment.

“Thank you, Mila,” I said. “What a sweet thing to say. You’ve made my day.”

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