Happy New Year!

The new school year began again this week- on Tuesday for AJ, and on Wednesday for me. I know by the look on his face that AJ is not thrilled about being back at school, but I can't seem to get much more out of him on the topic. I think he's just biting his toungue and trying to get through it.

I on the other hand have enjoyed school so far. While I'm not necessarily ecstatic to be back, I enjoy another year of opportunities and potential possibilities. I haven't gotten too much of a read on my classes thus far either. I teach all sophomores, so they're a little bit reserved right now while they're trying to get used to the new campus, schedule and daily regiment.

One activity that I added to all of my classes this year was a "show and tell" assignment. At our school, we have free periods and we expect students to take advantage of those periods to seek help when they need it. However, some of the sophomores are a little reluctant to do so. So, to break the ice, I am requiring every one of my students to set up a meeting with me in the first week and a half, so that they can come in and do a little show and tell for me. They can bring something in, or they can simply tell me what activities they are involved in at school. Some of the "show and tell" items/info that I've received so far is:

- Alexander told me about a scuba diving camp he attended this summer
- Riley G wants to be a chef and is a prep cook for a 2 star michelin restaurant in Beverly Hills
- Riley S has been rock climbing all over the western U.S.
- Alex took pictures of the drawings in her sketch book and brought them in for me to look at
- Olivia went to circus camp (this may speak volumes)

Anyways, it's been fun to hear about my students interests and I look forward to getting to know them better throughout the year. Cheering them on in their aspirations is the best part of teaching,- math is just small part of it.

Although I don't find the cartoon posted below particularly funny, I still enjoyed it. I'll tell you why in a future post, but in the meantime.... does anyone know what the answer is?