I turned over a new leaf this morning, not intentionally, though: I missed my first Math Club meeting as its sponsor/co-sponsor. In the nine years that I have been the faculty member of record for the club, I have never missed a meeting. These included "wild" toga parties at 7:30 in the evening, "crazy" white elephant gift exchanges late in the evening, a meeting a a student's house WAY out in the boonies (although late, I DID make it), and several early morning 6:30 am meetings here on campus. I must have attended at least a hundred meetings in succession, but the streak ends today.I think my work is finally catching up with me. Having come in a bit early today (5:30am), my wife agreed to fill in for me today in my role of dropping off my kids at her mom's. I thought I'd have plenty of quiet time to catch up, but I'm usually wrong on these things, as an overly-inquisitive student, with nothing more to do that meander around my room and ask me non-mathematical, non-educational, nonsensical questions in a tiny voice. I must have answered, "The math club meeting starts at 6:30 this morning" 5 times . . . . . . per minute!
All this is going on while I'm trying to fine tune my Algebra II show that I have to film today after school. It's the big Halloween episode, a real audience pleaser, if you consider two viewers and audience. Today I'm dressing as a pirate, and doing the entire show in character, including the voice. I was scrambling this morning for some funny (clean) pirate expressions, jokes, names, etc. while frantically searching for an appropriate pirate-themed background for my green-screen shot.
Checking my email, I see a message from a former student with a subject of "mathematical emergency," he knew how to get my attention. I've been preparing my whole life to handle something like this. I opened up the email to discover that he has a major project due today and has no idea how to start. Either he was as busy as I was, or he was a prodigious procrastinator. Nonetheless, I decided to drop everything and help--for the sake of the problem and my peace of mind, not the student's. Anyway, his project was a giant word problem he had to read, extract the relevant information, solve the problem at hand, and write a solution in mathematical and layman's terms. My interest was piqued.
After brooding over the problem, I had the insight, and the solution, which involved calculus and optimization, flowed easily from there. As I scanned in a very partial solution, a hint if you will, to send to the student, I found myself muttering without realizing it, "the math club meeting starts this morning at 6:30am." I sent the hint to the student and got back to my pirate affairs.
As of now, it's almost 7:00 and the math club meeting is happening as I type . . . . . . . . . in fact a student from the meeting just came in form some math help, so I guess it is over.
Oh well, there's always next month's meeting, which "will begin at 6:30am."
7 comments:
Did you really miss the meeting? You must have a lot on your mind.
Yes, I missed the meeting, but I really, really didn't miss it all that much.
You didn't miss much. It seemed unplanned and a bit boring.
Ha! Korpi missed a meeting. I know how you feel. School is overwhelming me a bit - I've never experienced so much pressure before. Is this college? All the time?
If you think about it in the big picture, your missed meeting is just a tiny little dot. No big deal. My chemistry exam on Friday, however, is a big fat splat on the picture.
All this is going on while I'm trying to fine tune my Algebra II show that I have to film today after school. It's the big Halloween episode, a real audience pleaser, if you consider two viewers an audience.
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Kevin- forget Nielson ratings, The MacRoberts household consistently doubles your viewership to at least six. Before you know it, you will be pressuring prime time cable slots such as " The Steamed Rice Show" and Wenzel's " Get your Booty in Djibouti"
Seriously- thank you for all you do for the community(& future Macs in your class.)- now listen to your wife Danielson- balance is important too.
On a side note, I was broached by an assuming man this summer near the community pool. He noticed my Math Club shirt and with what I considered a backhanded compliment, asked if the shirt helped me meet meet the ladies. I promised him that it was much more effective than his Star Trek convention shirt he wears to Schlitterbahn.
Hi dmac,
How are things at AH??? We miss you.
Brenda -- yearbooks are here. Tell Amy.
Dad Is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Awesome and Cool!!!!!
Love, Tate!!
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