So much math to learn, so little time

Hello again! MAP testing’s all done, and it’s time to get down to business. First order of business: make sure students are at school. There’s a huge amount that we discuss in class that just cannot be made up. I’m not talking about points in a gradebook; obviously for excused absences, students can make up those. I’m talking about the actual experience of being with me in the classroom, engaged in a dynamic discussion of some interesting point of mathematics. Missing that interaction is a terrible lost opportunity whether it’s an excused absence or not.

What we’re up to this week:

Calculus 3: Finishing our review of conic sections with a fun derivation of the standard form of a hyperbola, then onward to vector algebra.

Calculus 2: Rediscovering the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, and developing all the fun machinery for working with accumulation functions.

Calculus 1: Limit algebra! The first really hard stuff of the school year is coming up soon. Limits are where a lot of calculus students decide that this isn’t for them. The keys are to keep caught up with the assignments, pay close attention in class (which requires being in class, ahem), and ask for help as needed.

7th Grade Scholar’s Prep: Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, only I won’t call it that, because I don’t want anybody to run screaming. But it’s super important; this might be the most important week of the school year.

Precalculus: Also the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, only more so. We’re going to come out of the week with everybody viewing natural numbers as being built out of fundamental building blocks, which is the foundation for amazing mental arithmetic skills (and many other skills required for future success in mathematics).

Until next time,

Mr. Hermann