They came in before sixth period. Robert was holding a box with a cupcake. Daniela had something in a glass. Stephen, who came in last, was tagging along. Daniela held up the glass. “Do you have a spoon, Mr. Hasan?” “I do!” I reached into the cabinet and pulled out a plastic spoon. Robert stepped forward, and […]
Monthly Archives: April 2021
FOILed
Sun, 25 Apr 2021, 09:29 PM (-06:00)
They were working together in a group on the other side of the room. “Do you know how to FOIL?” I heard one of the students ask another. “No,” she said. Well, that’s not true. She knew how to FOIL once upon a time, since she passed Algebra 1. Nevertheless, that was two years ago, […]
I Turned It In
Sun, 25 Apr 2021, 08:10 AM (-06:00)
“Mister,” the email said. “I turned in my assignment yesterday, but your gradebook still says zero.” To be honest, I rely on students doing this. With assignments for remote students coming into Google Classroom and assignments for in-person kids coming in on paper, I sometimes mess up. So I went to the gradebook. Sure enough […]
Friday Free Time
Sat, 24 Apr 2021, 05:29 PM (-06:00)
It doesn’t happen often, but once in a while our algebra classes end with nothing else for the students to do. “It’s Friday,” I said to them yesterday. “Let’s end with five minutes of free time.” And with that, the students (every single one of them) took out their phones and the classroom settled into […]
Much Better
Sat, 24 Apr 2021, 04:05 PM (-06:00)
Like so many others, being remote didn’t work for him. He had been an online student for many weeks, but this cycle he had returned to school with others who had recognized (or whose parents had decided) that being at home was a disaster. Now that he was back, things were going better. He would […]
Asking For Advice
Sat, 17 Apr 2021, 11:17 AM (-06:00)
Two girls giggle at their desk in the middle of the room. I look up. They are staring at me. “Mr. Hasan,” one of them says as the other laughs. “Look at this.” She holds up her phone with a picture of a hand holding a spoon to a boy who’s about to put it in […]
Super Surreal
Sat, 17 Apr 2021, 09:37 AM (-06:00)
Four students walked into the classroom. I recognized three of them. “Mr. Hasan, meet Andrew.” Andrew stepped from behind the others. He smiled and waved. “Andrew!” I said. “He’s just here today for the test,” one of the other boys explained. (That day the sophomores were all taking their English II standardized test.) Andrew looked […]
Midnight Math Mode
Thu, 15 Apr 2021, 08:25 PM (-06:00)
“Mr. Hasan?” “Yesss?” “Mr. Hasan, I need to do math at midnight.” “I see.” “Midnight. That’s when I’m in math mode.” “Math mode? At midnight!?” another student said. “At midnight I’m like…” He tilted his head, rolled his eyes back, and hung his tongue out of his mouth. No kidding.
I Feel Love #1
Sun, 11 Apr 2021, 10:09 AM (-06:00)
It was a warm spring day. The sky was very blue. The temperatures were very warm. I was riding along the Violet Crown Trail, going around a turn when I came upon a hiking mother and child. They heard my wheels, looked back, and stood aside. I winked at the boy and rode past. Donna […]
Collaborators
Sun, 11 Apr 2021, 06:31 AM (-06:00)
1. “Is there anything you want to tell me, Simon?” I asked in an email message. “I would like to talk to you about your quiz, but before I do that I’d like to give you a chance to tell me anything you think I ought to know.” You see Simon, who is normally an […]