A lot of adults are complaining that teens are “illiterate” in their writing, especially in email messages — you know, “kids these days…” and all that — but that’s not what I’m seeing. The abysmal level of teenage writing is… Read More ›
Weston
How many applications????
I’ve just sent off my final college recommendations — for a couple of schools that have surprisingly late deadlines of January 10 or January 15. My spreadsheet shows that the students who asked me to write recommendations for them this… Read More ›
Requiring algebra in eighth grade
Ten years ago, the highly respected mathematician Lynn Arthur Steen wrote an article entitled, “Algebra for All in Eighth Grade: What’s the Rush?” Well, now we know what the rush is…or do we? Steen sets up the issue with a… Read More ›
Paper clip update
Paper clips are up to 25 now: Getting closer to donuts.
Finally, The Lion King
Somehow this post got delayed from earlier in the year. Oh, well…hakuna matata. Anyway, earlier in this calendar year — but it was last academic year — two of my Weston sophomores were aghast to hear that I had never… Read More ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
Class blogs
Check out the blogs for all of my classes! We rotate each day that a class meets, so that students take turns posting class notes. So far this has led to a number of positive effects: Students who miss class… Read More ›
Paper clips: current count
Currently up to 18 paper clips…
Learning Strategies 