It was the end of the day. A four-day weekend lay before us. We were all in a good mood. The bell rang. Most of the kids quickly filed out. A few lingered to avoid the crush at the door and leisurely pack their bags. “Mr. Hasan,” she said, walking up to me. “Yes?” “I […]
Yearly Archives: 2025
No Phones Down Day
Mon, 6 Oct 2025, 07:33 AM (-06:00)
We had a short day last week. Not enough time for a full lesson, and several periods had just come off a legit hard test. I put this up on the monitor at the front of the class. “What’s that?” someone asked when they came into the room, pointing in genuine perplexity at the cryptic […]
Make Cancer Great Again
Sun, 21 Sep 2025, 08:53 AM (-06:00)
1. Background Years ago after I returned to work following surgery and lymphangiograms and more surgery and radiation therapy and chemotherapy for cancer, a colleague sat with me at lunch. “You know, chemotherapy isn’t natural,” he said. There just wasn’t much further that conversation could have gone. It was clear what he was implying — […]
Make Hunger Great Again
Sun, 21 Sep 2025, 08:12 AM (-06:00)
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Don’t like public policies that address food insecurity? Then just stop measuring food insecurity.
Teaching Organizational Skills
Sat, 20 Sep 2025, 12:00 PM (-06:00)
1. Read the Instructions I walked over to their desk when they raised their hands. “Mr. Hasan,” one of them asked, “can we just write our work for problems 2 and 3 over here?” They pointed to the right of problem 1. “No,” I said. “What!? We can write small!” “Did you read the instructions?” […]
Words Matter
Sat, 20 Sep 2025, 10:19 AM (-06:00)
1. Ambiguity In the abstract it’s a fair question. Does this mathematical notation (2,7) represent a point in the x-y plane with coordinates x=2 and y=7? Or does it represent an interval on the number line extending from x=2 to x=7? The notation by itself really is ambiguous. 2. Clarification When he called me over, he […]
Conspiring Against Us
Wed, 3 Sep 2025, 08:02 PM (-06:00)
The poor man. Not invited to the party with its fancy festivities and marching military parades. Unable to hobnob with his besties, Xi, Vladimir, and Kim. He whines that they are conspiring against us. Conspiring. You think!?
These and Many Other Things
Sat, 30 Aug 2025, 01:54 PM (-06:00)
There is too much good in America. If I were Vladimir Putin, I would undo it all. For example, I would cancel US wind power projects sabotage the American EV industry gut US expansion of solar power expand Clean Air Act exemptions for coal-fired power plants roll back rules governing clean water and climate change roll back […]
First American Edition
Sat, 23 Aug 2025, 07:13 AM (-06:00)
1. Are Those Your Books? As the room was emptying, a student walked up. There had been many questions that first day of class, questions about rates of change and concavity, about what the diagram really meant. I figured she was following up. “Mr. Hasan,” she said, “are those your books?” I put down the […]