Student grades are done, checked, and posted on my web site. I'll turn them in on Monday and then vacation officially begins for me. It's been a good semester, with good students, some of whom I hope to see back again in another class, and some of whom probably hope to never see me again. One of the things I faced early in my career is that no teacher is a good teacher for every student. There's an old zen saying that goes "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." My experience is that pretty much hits the nail on the head, only in the sense that when a student is ready to learn, they can learn from most teachers, although some teachers become special because they and the student "click" and they create "learning community" for each other. I don't think most good students realize how much the teacher learns from them. When the teacher-student environment is right both teacher and student grow beyond what they have been before. They grow out into the world in new ways, helping each other to see the world in wonder and delight.

 

If you're one of my students reading this, thanks so much for all you have shared and have a wonderful break!

A thought while giving this morning's final..."I'm only half as good as I think I am as a teacher, but gratefully only half as bad as I hope I'm not!"

 

One of the nice things about final's week is that the regular schedule is abandoned. I'm sitting here now in downtown Pasadena, treating myself to lunch and watching the world go by around me. Ordinarily I'd be in my office at this time preparing for three hours of evening classes. It's so nice to do a little Christmas shopping and have a little lunch out on the town.

 

A few students sent notes today to say thank-you for their grades. The good thing about doing it all on a point basis is that I can take little credit for that. It was they who did the work and earned the points. I hope at least a few of them "get it." It isn't the teacher, it's the student who does well. Most of the students who got A's did the hard work and deserve the credit. They've been a joy to watch all semester!

 

One more test to give and grade tomorrow, then a chance to turn in grades on Monday and the semester is officially over!

 

Jennalise, Grandpa's ready to play!

 

Well, time to wrap this up and go home to Monster!

Spending most of the week giving tests and grading. I'm hoping to have all the exams graded by Friday night so students can make decisions about registering for classes during winter or spring semesters. The sooner they know their grades, the easier making decisions will be. Many students say they will be coming back next semester to take me for another class. Some students will be taking me for the same class. In any event, it's nice to see old friends again!

 

Winter semester begins January 8th. I'm teaching Winter, but not Summer this year. It will be interesting to see how this new semester goes. It should feel like a Summer semester, but probably won't.

 

I was turned down today for a sabbatical. They say that because I was gone (during the time I was at the AFSC) I haven't been here for seven consecutive years. Bah humbug! I guess being here for over 15 years doesn't count. Another example of rules being formed by committee! Kind of like the US government. You get the lowest common denominator and quality becomes less important than the rule! Allowing me time off to work on these math cartoons would give something back to the college. At this point, though, I'm feeling freed up to quit working on the math idea and just do a creative cartoon, since I won't have to justify my work to anyone. I've been wanting to do an Hawai'ian myth, so over vacation I will put away the math cartoons and work on the myth. In some ways it's too bad. In other ways it's really freeing! Ah well, we don't always get what we want, do we? I hope, though, that Santa brings you what you want for Christmas, or at least a reasonable approximation, as we mathematicians are wont to say!

Next week begins finals week. Although this semester is only two weeks shorter than previous semesters, it certainly has felt like it was a whole lot faster than last year. I think it's going to take some getting used to doing this kind of semester. For one thing, the tests seem to come faster! Finally corrected the last test yesterday and put it up on the MSAC website this morning, so now all my students know what grade they have going into the final. Perhaps it will be motivation for some of them. Most did very well on the last test and hopefully will do well on the final. The problem for some of my students is that they need to learn that even the best teacher in the world can not help them if they don't practice by doing the homework and participating in class. You can't learn how to golf or run without doing your own practice. You can catch the tips and tricks by watching someone else, but you can not get proficient at it without trying it yourself. There can be no learning without making mistakes, and if you're not practicing you're not making mistakes! Real education occurs in the mistakes and not in the successes!

 

Anyway, next week is finals, then a well deserved vacation for both students and teachers. Anyone who thinks teachers get too much vacation hasn't tried standing in front of a classroom for 6 hours a day, then going home and having two or three more hours of work. Those of us who do it when we could be doing other things do it because we love it. Yet vacations are still very much needed.

 

Let's hear it for Christmas!