Wednesday, November 9, 2016

In My Own Little Corner

It has been a difficult two weeks.

I have been told what goals I have to fulfill for my two year "self-evaluation" period, and I attended a meeting where a we were scolded for half an hour over several things that did not pertain to me. At the end of all this, I had to help students: some of whom were feeling unsafe and afraid before the election, and some of whom were feeling unsafe and afraid after the election.  Not an easy task when I, too, am feeling unsafe and afraid.  It puts me in mind of how I felt after 9/11:  I just want to gather up my most beloved family, find a little hidey hole and block out the big nasty world.  I am SO grateful for a long talk with my sister who loves and supports me, who understands this visceral need, and who expresses it so eloquently.

But in my own little corner, in 207, we continue to do fun and challenging math.  Thanks to Alex Overwijk at SlamDunkMath we have been playing with bicycle rims to learn about radians, arc length, and such.  Go visit him!  He is the MAN!  And thanks to my son and daughter-in-law who spent a rainy afternoon taking all the spokes out of 7 bicycle tires!

Here are some pix:

G. really gets "into" her work!


M and crew just "hanging" out.
We have a shortened week because of Veteran's Day, so we'll have to play with these some more the next time we get together (I see these students only every other week because we are a vocational school).  We will have only 2.5 days together next cycle, so...not sure how much we can get done.  But it is a safe place where students can work together to explore and to learn.

This is my own little corner.