This past summer was filled with lasts. It was my last stint as director of our REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates). I ran my last TA (Teaching Assistant) training workshop. The summer was my last summer as a college professor. And today was my last first day of an academic year.
A student came to my office, looked around my office. As he crossed the threshold, his step faltered. I turned to see what had caused his reaction—he was staring at my calendar, a Jewish calendar with a big Star of David emblazoned on it. Curious, I scrutinized him, searching for a clue that would explain … Read more
I paused, took a deep breath, then read through the problem again. It still looked like a tangle of black yarn with no beginning and no end. Okay, okay, I can do this. Line by line. Sentence by sentence. I read the first sentence: “An island is 2 miles due north of its closest point … Read more
It was my son’s idea to add bonus problems to my tests. “Have them draw an octopus. That’s what one of my professors had us do.” I loved the idea—the students, many of whom are subject to math anxiety, could use some comic relief during the test. I added a problem: “Draw a picture of … Read more
There are days, Calculus Mustache Day Math Grad Students Fake Mustache Day and there are days: Calculus Hoodie Day And then we went for socks. Some were interesting. Others… Calculus Sock Day The teaching assistant couldn’t make it to class. So… They asked, “Can we have a candy day?” Calculus Lollipop Day There were some … Read more
