Recursive Sequencing

After a dizzying week full of testing, creating gifts for the parents (thank you, Mrs. Johnson, for all your help!...honestly, I have no idea what I'd do without my classroom aids: Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Appelsies, and Mrs. Somers), and on the personal side, grading, entering the scores for all of the data that is required, finishing all of the pictures for the kids, and getting the required papers to all of the required people, I'm one tired guy. And I'm sure your children are ready for the break as well.

I want to thank everyone for showering me with awesome gifts over the past week. Thank you cards are coming to you all, but I wanted to make sure you all know you are thanked. You are wonderful people to teach for, and there is no way I can thank you enough.

Right now, I have to take the opportunity to let my Math class (and their parents) know that I cannot believe how smart this class is. After teaching fifth grade math last year for the first time in a decade, I was honestly reluctant to turn back to Sixth Grade Math. No offense is meant toward any former sixth grade math class I've taught, but these kids are by far the smartest math class I have ever taught. Including when I taught Challenge. You read that right. And this class is made up of people without a single Challenge kid in it. I have told them this time and again, which is met with complacency. I teach them something one time; they get it. When I start to review something with them, I'm met with, "Haven't we already done this?" I'll say, "Well, yeah, but we're just reviewing." That normally receives an easy-going shrug as they await moving onto the next thing. They actually enjoy things like logic puzzles, like converting repeating decimals into fractions, like tackling multiplying mixed numbers, and like my bad drawings of multiplication signs with faces. I have bored the other teachers with talking about this Math class. I have bored the Math class itself telling them how great they are. But it's true. It's a very gratifying class to teach. Your kids make me not mind not having only my homeroom every day.

More later. Have a great break!