Validation

I know Mr. AP is happy that I am gone and most of the senior teachers are also gone but I know the teachers like me made a big difference.  It is messages like this that make me, and all of us feel special and know that the work we did made a difference.

Stupid Facebook Post and the Stupid AP Who Liked It

 



The experienced, knowledgeable teacher retired.  For over 30 years she taught, inspired and helped new teachers and administrators.  She was an asset to the school, someone who had done more for the school than all the newbies put together.

One newbie posted about how happy she was to see this experienced teacher go.  She didn't like being criticized by an "old lady."  She even wrote goodbye and good riddance for all to read.  The worst part of it is the AP "liked" her post.  (This AP has since decided liking it was not a good idea and got rid of the like.)  This AP learned the ropes from this "old lady" as she had no background in the area when she took the job and still knows very litle about what she does.

Oh, the young and stupid.  You would think a teacher would know better than to post crap like this and you would definitely hope an AP would set a better example.  But, this is what happens when the stupid are put in charge.  The kids they are in charge of  have a higher intellect.

There is a new Principal in the building.  I wonder how he feels about the stupidity of the teacher and the idiocy of the AP in charge of the department.

Actual facebook post here.

From A Friend's Facebook Page

Ironic! Isn't it? That as the so called corporate model in managing the public schools is being introduced into the public sector, i.e civil service ,the entrance exam you took to get the job, the number of years of experience and training that you have accumulated mean nothing to a principal who needs your experience, training and facility with languages and knowledge of different cultures because an urban area like New York City is so complex and diverse. What's happening today is that because of ageism, a bad economy and ill will on the part of the City experienced workers are being thrown out with the garbage, told they are no longer needed and or wanted. I do know one thing that today it is my turn to be shunted, humiliated and abused so as to leave but tomorrow it will be someone else's i.e. those young teachers they are praising so much that "they" say will be the salvation of public education. If apathy towards your working conditions(read grateful to have a job) and hostility towards your colleagues reigns supreme then think of just how poor your working life is and how unhappy you will be until it your time to be thrown out with the garbage arrives!

I marvel at some of my colleagues who tell me they have a great relationship with their boss/bosses and they socialize with him/her after working hours. I've ne...ver been that lucky nor do I want to be. When the "spaghetti hits the fan" and we all have to "cover our assets" I doubt friendship is important at all. Perhaps the rule below only applies to those in the trenches as I keep meeting colleagues who work in rarefied and privileged work places where everybody gets along and sings "Kumbaya". Not this working class kid!

Old Subway and Bus Ads

 



A trip last weekend to Atlantic Ave fair.

Lots of old buses and the Transit Museum was free.

Just gotta love those old ads. 

More here, on Facebook.

Love This Girl

From Facebook:

forget all this dam useless drama like seriously its just gonna distract me -____- I'm gonna focus passing my regents and ending Junior year stronger than ever its just gonna be me and hardcore studying with my review books !!!!

From A Former Packemin Student (Not One Of Mine)

Some Actually Take Education Seriously

 

A former calculus student writes:

i feel like i go to a university where everyone from these non urban areas gets way to hyped up about going out every weekend. relax, it's not that serious. yes, i'm studying on a saturday night. i have a future set in my mind.

One Thing I Miss

Lifted from a former student's Facebook page:

okay midterms BRING IT!! good bye to everything for now. Its just gonna be me and my buddies the textbooks!!!

Kids like her make me miss being in the classroom.  (Maybe not enough to give up a trip to Aruba for.)

Facebook Justified To Me

I'm not much of a Facebook user, except for posting pictures but I finally see its use.  It was great to sign on all week, and particularly this morning to see all my friends remembering my birthday and sending along good wishes.

Celebrating in the Aruba sunshine.....

Stolen From A Facebook Page



Give Them All A Chance



I'm shallow and weak, I admit it.  I needed this:

thank you for the preparation! by the way, my professor is terrible. its a good thing i have alllll your notes in my dorm and a great background knowledge of calculus!"

The girl who wrote this was one who only got into the class last year when we cut out the double period to make the extra section. I was feeling kind of sad about last year's results, but she just validated my decision.

(I also needed to take the picture of the cute red truck in Germany.)

Got A Chuckle From This

From Facebook:

i feel so brain dead.. i haven't done any academic work all summer, other than computing change, but still. i'm so tempted to just pick up a pencil and do some calculus. lol, weird i know.

(This poor girl is earning a living by walking around with a 25 kg (55 lb) sausage grill attached to her body.  I don't eat meat, but I insisted my husband buy one from her.  At $2.25. she needed to sell quite a few to make a living, especially with the price of things in Germany.)

Choose Your Friend's Wisely



I never understood why a principal,or any boss for that matter would want to be Facebook friends with someone who worked for them (or why anyone would want to be friends with their boss either) but my daughter set me straight on the former.

When two people are Facebook friends they have access to each others personal data.  The principal or boss can keep a blank page giving no one access to their personal information and at the same time learn who the employee hangs out with, what he does on his free time, and what she is interested in.  Many have gotten in serious trouble because of this page.

As for a teacher friending a principal?  What for?  Brownie points?  The friendship won't get you anywhere.  My advice--DON'T DO IT!

The Term Is Almost Over But They Are Still Thinking

From our class facebook page

Brought Tears To My Eyes

From our Facebook page:

 

♥ pod, im gunna miss you.

I would like everyone to know that when i have a kid, i am going to make Mrs. POd teach them...and noone else.

Gotta Love My Calc Kids

New, on our facebook page.

Facebook Conversation

I'm thrilled that they are studying and helping each other.  The AP test is May 19.

so you guys know how in our calculators POdbaby[what they call me--except with part of my real name instead of POd}  had us store those expressions for when you graph in the y= list thing. it's the derivative and double derivative? well yea. i accidentally deleted those and now i'm lost. can someone tell me what they were?! por favor.

4 hours ago ·  ·  · 

• • 
    

    DS  math 8, vars right y1, comma, x, comma, x, close parenthesis
    

    4 hours ago · 
  • KS  thank you so much :]
    

    4 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    KS  but it's giving me an error..
    

    3 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    DS  you have to put it in one of the other y's like a number you'll never use like y8 or something
    

    3 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    KS  I did
    

    3 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    JD  whats in your y1 ?
    

    3 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    KS  An expression. I used an equation to check to see if it worked and I gy an error. I tried it with two expressions
    

    3 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    KS  Expression* got* stupid itouch
    

    3 hours ago · 
  • 
    

    CL  Do you have what D  said? "nDeriv (Y1, X, X)"?
    

    37 minutes ago · 

KS oh there are two x's lolol. thank you !

16 hours ago · ·  1 person likes this

A Little Math Humor

I don't teach to the test but I do teach test taking skills.  Although I want the kids to know and understand the math, the bottom line is all most care about is their grade.

We just finished a unit on differential equations and with every questions I stress the importance of "plus C", emphasizing that the readers will not even look at their work if they leave that out.  One of my kids just posted the following on our Facebook page.  I'm really going to miss this group.


Two math professors are sitting in a pub. 

"Isn't it disgusting", the first one complains, "how little the general public knows about mathematics?" 

"Well", his colleague replies, "you're perhaps a bit too pessimistic." 

"I don't think so", the first one replies. "And anyhow, I have to go to the washroom now." 

He goes off, and the other professor decides to use this opportunity to play a prank on his colleague. He makes a sign to the pretty, blonde waitress to come over. 

"When my friend comes back, I'll wave you over to our table, and I'll ask you a question. I would like you to answer: x to the third over three. Can you do that?" 

"Sure." The girl giggles and repeats several times: "x to the third over three, x to the third over three, x to the third over three..." 

When the first professor comes back from the washroom, his colleague says: "I still think, you're way too pessimistic. I'm sure the waitress knows a lot more about mathematics than you imagine." 

He makes her come over and asks her: "Can you tell us what the integral of x squared is?" 
She replies: "x to the third over three." 

The other professor's mouth drops wide open, and his colleague grins smugly when the waitress adds: "...plus C."

Facebook To The Rescue



One of the girls in my calculus class was confused about a question on a "take-home quiz."   These are really just homework assignments I collect and mark.  I do this to encourage them to work together and take homework seriously.  I'm not as good as I should be about checking to see who does it on a regular basis.  It just takes too much time and I still have way too much to cover before the AP exam.  (The single period is killing us.)  The reason I am writing this now is I just checked our class Facebook page and saw the request for help and a dialogue that transpired with 12 comments involving 6 kids, kids I that are not friends outside of school. Membership in the group is up to 70.

Teachers and parents complain that the kids spend too much time on the Internet.  Well, here is a group using it for something positive.  Funds may have been cut to schools, our class time has decreased but Facebook has provided a way for my kids to get the extra help some so desperately need.

Face Book

I don't really get the whole purpose of Facebook. If someone is my friend, I talk to them in person, on the phone, with instant messages and with e-mail. I never understood the need to talk openly on some wall. But, I did break down and put up a page. A few of my high school buddies convinced me that it would be a way for some of my friends from way back then to find me. I'm not sure I want to be found, but I let them talk me into starting one. There is no connection to POd on it but don't worry, you aren't missing anything. The only thing there so far are a couple of miscellaneous pictures with no people included. I did look for some old friends once or twice but never bothered to contact them. And, the few that contacted me, are listed as friends but we aren't keeping up either.

I thought I was young in spirit but I'm not young enough to get with this new way of keeping in touch. I don't care who ate broccoli for dinner and how many minutes someone spent in the bathroom. I'm just not cool enough to get it.

(Pictures from the Vortex Bar, Atlanta Georgia--Too old for Facebook but not too old for a beer in a fun place like this.)