Week One

One week into the new semester, things appear to be going well. There have been some glitches, to be sure. Tuesday evening I couldn't find my copy of the text for my geometry class, and had to borrow one from one of my students. (It turned out that I'd lent my copy to one of my other students, who returned it to me on Thursday.) In my calculus class, I'm trying to use a new on-line component - new to me, new to the students, and new to the support staff - and, well, there've been a few problems getting it up and running. Still, I think we're getting it together.

The calculus students include a fair number - enough, I hope - who are willing to actively participate, both volunteering answers to my questions and letting me know when they're not following. I'm pleased with them so far, and likewise with the geometry students.

In linear algebra, after going over some simple early proofs, I presented another theorem and asked how it should be tackled. It was quite similar to one I'd just done, and one young lady in the first row volunteered to walk me through. When she finished - successfully - she murmured something to the effect that that was probably the last time I'd get that much effort from her. I grinned fiercely, pointed at her, and declaimed, "I'm not done with you yet! I will awaken new powers in you!" The class (including the young lady) laughed, a bit nervously. (The second day of class, I noticed that she was sitting in the second row....)

And when I came back from calculus class this noon, I found that one of my students had left me a bag of apples from the tree in her yard.

Life is good.