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First test of the year....

It's seventh period. There's about 20 minutes left... some are frantically writing and others are searching the air around them for answers. Hopefully they have thoughts about the properties of exponents, methods of factoring, real number subsets and rationalization of denominators dancing in their heads.

I'm nervous for them. I want them all to do well, but also realize the reality of it. I imagine, as usually is the case, that some will knock it out of the park, while others will feel that they have one leg hanging in the grave.

It's an interesting perspective to be on this side of it. I, like many of my colleagues, have come to believe that the grade doesn't really matter. And yet it does. (Heavens! Some school districts out there are giving 40% pay raises based on grades and standardized test results.)

And what will be the most interesting part of this test.....is when I will ask them to turn it in, and as they do so, they say "thank you." I find this astounding every time.

Where in the World is Ms. Satterthwaite From?

Ever since I began college at Weber State University when I was 17 years old, I have had new acquaintances say to me, rather frequently, something along these lines...

"I can hear a subtle accent when you speak....where are you from?"



When I attended Weber, I thought the people that asked me this were a little off there rockers, because, after all, I grew up only 30 minutes up the road. However, as I have lived in different places, the inquiries as to where I'm from have only continued. Now when people ask me where I'm from, I almost always ask them where they think I'm from before answering their question. The two most popular regions that my newly met acquaintances think I'm from are the Scandinavian region and the Scotland/Ireland region. Needless, to say, they are shocked/surprised/disappointed when I respond that I grew up in Utah.



In speaking with my co-workers who have now worked with me for a few years, many have said that they don't detect an accent, but they also say that I definitely don't sound American either. Is this a good thing? Bad thing? I'm not sure. But it sure does give me a good laugh.

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?

Simply Amazing

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"- really. While I love the holidays and truly cherish the vacations in order to spend invaluable time with family, there is something about the start of a new school year that excites and propels me forward to take the next steps towards the potential me that I dream of one day becoming. This is when I set my new year's resolutions, evaluate my personal growth over the last year and goals for the next, and then truly make strides towards being the person that I was sent here to be....well, at least for a few months that is.

For the past three years this process has been accompanied by the "Back to School" meetings held at the high school where I teach at in preparation for the new school year. All of our faculty and staff gather together at 9 am one week prior to the day when we will open our doors to students, and take in a simply amazing, motivational message delievered by the president of our school. This year was no exception.

This brings me to the picture displayed at the beginning of this post. His name is Peter, one of the defenders on the US Mens Water Polo team that earned the silver medal in the Beijing games.... he is also the son of the president of the high school. Listening to the president as he spoke of building character through the familiar traits of honesty, idealism, healthy skepticism, positive self-esteem and even some disappointments along the way, as they were embedded in the context of Peter's journey in water polo and then so eloquently related to our jobs as educators, was undoubtedly a source of motivation that encouraged me to believe that what we do really can matter. At least I'll believe that for the moment; it's hard to hold on to that thought amidst competing college admissions processes, grades, and a whole host of other issues that arise throughout the year. However, the year hasn't begun yet and so I'll simply relish this moment of excitement, dreams and possibilities. Cheesy? Yeah....but it feels good.

An Update about our Golf Therapy

It's been about a month and a half since AJ and I dedicated ourselves to the game of golf in our spare time. Luckily we've had our fair share of spare time over the last few weeks and have had the opportunity to get out and practice quite often. While we both still have a long way to go before we're each satisfied with our own games, I must say that I'm really proud of the length to which AJ has improved his game. It turns out that golf has been good "therapy" for us, and maybe the pro is right....it will keep our marriage intact longer ;)

Where we've been...

AJ and I enjoyed our trip to Utah last week and wish we were still there. We loved visiting with family, catching up with friends, and improving our golf games....but alas, we must return to the lives that we chose here in LA.

A's B-day was celebrated while I was in Utah. My parents gave her this trike as well as "Bounceland" which she loves!



Ruby didn't want to be left out either, so we brought up this Lion for her to ride around on and catch up with her big sister. I love little Ruby's smile! It's worth a million! She's either sporting this gorgeous grin or she's screaming. It's much happier when she's in this state and we all simply melt into her whims and desires ;)


A is not a fan of the cameras. Whenever she realizes that she's the subject of a photoshoot, she crosses her eyes! It's rather frustrating. However, I liked this snapshot of A and my mom cuddling on the couch.

What follows is the ONE picture that I have of AJ and I on our anniversary.....

Yes...he is trying to give me bunny ears in this shot. I was hopeful that most boys left this phase in grade school, but apparently not.