I wish you could be here!

I REALLY wish you could be in my class everyday watching what I get to watch!  It is so exciting...EVERY day!!  The kids don't NEED me like they used to!  I've created a bunch of independent learners...collaborators actually.  I get to watch and they allow me to participate once in awhile, but they really do depend on each other!  It is THE BEST!  And even though I don't actually "teach" like I used to, I get to interject, ask questions, make suggestions, ask more questions and let them tell me lots of stuff about math!  (At least I still get to make the video lessons) What could be better?!

In Calculus today, I gave them problems #11-5.  Yup, I wrote it correctly.  Initially it made them stop and ask "what?", until someone said, "so you want us to do them backwards?"  Yup! That's what I want. They were off and running, working away on their whiteboards.  But here is the best part: I forced them to go backwards because I wanted to make sure they discussed the hardest ones first.  Well THAT plan didn't work out (happily) because they were not deterred for very long.  Soon enough, groups had 11, then 10, then 9, and all the way to number 5 completed. Some teams had time to get out the laptop and start watching tonight's notes!  That has never happened.  I'm going to have to "up my game"!  But it felt amazing!  Especially when they asked so few questions.  Sometimes their having to wait to ask me for help pushes them to try a little more with the problem...and then viola', they get it without me (so that by the time I get to their group, they say "we figured it out").  Gotta love "wait time"!

Statistics is progressing nicely as of late.  I've had them working a bit more in their groups in a productive manner.  They have been discussing 3-way and 2-way tables and I keep giving them more things to consider.  Today was are in the throes of Simpson's Paradox (little synapses are bursting in their brains when they see the outcome change!)  But one of the reasons I would love for you to be here is the RICH discussions they are having in their groups.  Asking questions that I usually ask and then answering them collaboratively.  It makes me smile (inside and out) when I hear their talk!

Still maintain that I have the best job in the world!!