Last week, I had an experience that illustrates one of the things I love about being a teacher.
I was tutoring a ninth grader in math. We were doing quadratic equations, and if you remember doing quadratic equations, you will know that most of them end up with two possible answers, which indicate the x-intercepts of the parabola.
He started telling me about this thing his teacher told him about. Like if there was a cat in a box with a little bottle of poison, you wouldn't know if it was alive or dead. I interrupted, "You mean Schrödinger's Cat."
He said, "Yeah! That's it. That shows how there can be two possible explanations for each problem."
I told him that I always thought that the cat story was just a mental exercise.
He went crazy.
Since he was a fourth grader, this kid had never once educationally had a one-up on me. He was jumping around, shouting "I just schooled Mr. Carter!"
He loved it, and he assumed I hated it. I didn't, though. I love it when I learn stuff from occurrences like this one.
Honestly, it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I know it's dorky, but it's one of the things I love about my job. It makes me feel like a better teacher.
Yes, it's beyond the scope of fifth grade, but somehow it makes me feel better about my position in teaching elementary school. My mind is stronger, and so is his. It's definitely a win-win.
I was tutoring a ninth grader in math. We were doing quadratic equations, and if you remember doing quadratic equations, you will know that most of them end up with two possible answers, which indicate the x-intercepts of the parabola.
He started telling me about this thing his teacher told him about. Like if there was a cat in a box with a little bottle of poison, you wouldn't know if it was alive or dead. I interrupted, "You mean Schrödinger's Cat."
He said, "Yeah! That's it. That shows how there can be two possible explanations for each problem."
I told him that I always thought that the cat story was just a mental exercise.
He went crazy.
Since he was a fourth grader, this kid had never once educationally had a one-up on me. He was jumping around, shouting "I just schooled Mr. Carter!"
Honestly, it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I know it's dorky, but it's one of the things I love about my job. It makes me feel like a better teacher.
Yes, it's beyond the scope of fifth grade, but somehow it makes me feel better about my position in teaching elementary school. My mind is stronger, and so is his. It's definitely a win-win.
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