Author Archives
In 2018 I semi-retired by retiring from Weston High School after my 21st year teaching mathematics there. This was also my 44th year as a teacher altogether. In 2023 I retired fully, adding in my 18 years at Harvard’s Crimson Summer Academy each summer. For 21 years I had taught at the Saturday Course in Milton, MA, and I used to serve on the board of the Dorchester Historical Society.
I read, cook, and spend a lot of time building my model railroad. For some reason I’m left with less free time than would be ideal, considering that I’m supposed to be retired, but somehow I also manage to devote time to my wife, Barbara, and to our varying number of cats (once up to six, but now sadly down to one).
Larry Davidson
ljd@larrydavidson.com
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An interview in Wildcat Tracks
Junior Lauren Avery, one of the editors of Weston High School’s student newspaper, Wildcat Tracks, asked if she could interview me. Of course I said yes, and the result was a half-page article that focused on my transition from linguistics… Read More ›
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Roadside Crosses
Although Jeffery Deaver’s Roadside Crosses is far from one of his best novels, it’s still worth reading — or listening to on audiobook, as I did. As with all of his works, the plotting is clever, starting with an opening… Read More ›
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dBar revisited
I’ve written about dBar twice before: on January 17, 2006, and on February 15, 2008. It has maintained its high standards. Barbara had mussels, followed by steak tacos, and she reports that both were excellent. I started with a scrumptious… Read More ›
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The Good Woman of Setzuan
Congratulations to the Weston High School Theater Company for another first-rate production! The last time I saw Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Woman of Setzuan must have been at least 20 years ago, so I didn’t remember much about it except… Read More ›
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Friday Cat Blogging
Vincent posed specially for this photo, because he liked his contribution to all the strong vertical lines — particularly the line from his right ear through his front paws, the nearly vertical sweep of his tail, and of course all… Read More ›
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Struggle
At this week’s Math Department meeting, we spent the first 15 minutes or so discussing what we do to help “struggling students” succeed in our courses — particularly what resources we provide. Something was bothering me about the whole discussion,… Read More ›
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The early bird gets the…copies?
You have to get up early in the morning to get ahead of the rest of the Weston faculty. (No slackers here!) I got to school at 6:30 this morning, figuring that I could use the photocopier without competition… but… Read More ›
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Before and after
A major topic of high-school math is the study of transformations. My colleague, Jim McLaughlin, wants you to know that his desk has somehow undergone a miraculous transformation: Before After
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How can you lose a quiz while you're taking it?
It doesn’t seem possible for a student to lose his quiz while taking it. If it’s possible at all, it should surely be a once-in-a-lifetime event. But no! For the second time in my years at Weston, this unlikely event… Read More ›
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The Catch
Apparently I’m reviewing one of Archer Mayor’s novels each year. I see that I wrote about St. Alban’s Fire on February 3, 2007; and I wrote about The Second Mouse on March 8, 2008. Unfortunately I have to report that… Read More ›
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Friday cat blogging & a geometry quiz
One of my students asked me what Friday Cat Blogging is all about. You can read the answer here or here or especially here. In other news, since today is Friday the 13th, we had to have a pop quiz… Read More ›
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Trophy Wives Don't Need Advanced Physics
This is an unsolicited recommendation for the new book published by my colleague, Boris Korsunsky, Trophy Wives Don’t Need Advanced Physics: Dubious Words of Wisdom From Physics Students. Just now I almost said, “written by my colleague…,” but that would… Read More ›
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88 Wharf
The southern half of Dorchester is becoming known for its new restaurants, especially if you extend the southern edge a bit into Milton. As you know from my brief review of Mrs. Jones, I’ve already written about one of these… Read More ›
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Weston teens & Boston teens…polite or not?
Earlier today I just happened to make a small remark to my junior class, complimenting them (and indirectly their parents) on how well brought up they were. The context was that two students had gone out of their way to… Read More ›
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Friday cat blogging
Geometry was never their strong point. It’s hard to get them to understand what “parallel” means:
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Congratulations to the Math Team!
Please congratulate the Weston High School math team for a spectacular showing at today’s meet. There were three — count them, that’s three — students with perfect scores, an unprecedented event in my years at Weston. Kudos to Marco Alagna,… Read More ›
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What's wrong with a B+?
Three different freshmen approached me at various times today with concerns about whether they should stay in Honors Geometry or drop down to College Prep. That’s OK. But for two of them the reason was that their current average is… Read More ›
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What a good day for a test!
Must be a good day for a test. Today three out of my four classes are taking tests — or opportunities to achieve, as some of them like to say. Maybe we are getting close to the end of the… Read More ›
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Halloween ups and downs
This year’s Halloween was the best and the worst. Let’s save the best for last. So the first question is, “How many trick-or-treaters did we get this year?” For perspective, we need to know that Barbara and I just happened… Read More ›
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Friday cat blogging
This is Rosalita, commonly known as Rosie but sometimes called the Curmudge-o-cat:
Learning Strategies 