## Tuesday, April 26, 2011

### Random stuff

1.   We started limits yesterday in precalc.  I'm taking it slowly - just did them graphically yesterday, numerically today.  It was actually kind of funny...  we were doing $\inline \lim_{x\rightarrow 2}(3x-2)$.  I set up a table so we could see the values from both the left side and the right side, and we ended up getting an answer of 4.  I could see wheels turning.  Finally one of the girls was like, "Can't we just plug it in?"  Yes!  Big sighs of relief ensued.  Of course, then I had to show them that everything's not pluggable.

(I found the latex editor here.)

2.  As we were discussing last night's assignment (checking out graphs and limits from them), one of the girls asked if we could watch Mean Girls in class.  After discovering that several of the kids have the movie at home, I said sure (at least the part where they reference limits!), we'll do that tomorrow.  They were all pretty excited until they realized that the juniors have an academic awards breakfast tomorrow during first period and won't be in class.  Then they got mad. :)  (Several asked if they could skip the breakfast!)

3.  I got my possible classes for next year from my department head yesterday.  Because of people moving from our school to the other school in the district, there's no one else that wants to teach the Honors Precalc.  (Can you imagine?!  It's my favorite!)  So it looks like I'll be teaching all three of those (down from 4 total this year, 2 are mine), 1 college prep Algebra 2, and I'm picking up the Honors Algebra 1.  I'm iffy about the Algebra 1 - I've taught the Honors class before, but the problem is that it's not really honors.  The "real" honors kids are now taking Algebra 1 in 7th grade.  The next level takes "Honors" Algebra 1 in 8th grade.  So these are kids whose parents want them in an honors class but weren't ready for Algebra 1 when the brightest of their class was.  Twice.  And they're freshmen.  Double whammy.  The good thing about the class is that I'm getting out of teaching the Integrated Algebra 1 (our general level) but unfortunately, that means my class size will go from 12 to 22-ish.  Yuck.