…you have finished another quarter of remote teaching because of a global pandemic and there is still so much to accomplish. Letters of recommendation to graduate schools. Manuscript revisions. Grading. Final exams. Email. More grading. Meeting preparations. Blog post. Dinner. (And not necessarily in that order.) There was no release. No celebration of a milestone.Continue reading “December 10 Day 277: That Feeling When…”
Author Archives: Jenny Quinn
December 9 Day 276: With a Whimper
My last two classes of the Autumn 2020 went out not with a bang, but a whimper. Only about 1/3 of the students attended. I released expectations, procedures, and questions for the oral final interviews to be scheduled throughout exam week (December 14-18). Friday appointments are looking pretty crowded already. I answered questions and thenContinue reading “December 9 Day 276: With a Whimper”
December 8 Day 275: Preparing to be Presidential
Today was the first day of the “Developing Your Leadership 2021 Game Plan” Workshop run by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE). MAA Executive Director Michael Pearson suggested that we attend together and I am glad that I took him up on the offer. I have written on leadership a couple ofContinue reading “December 8 Day 275: Preparing to be Presidential”
December 7 Day 274: Math Metaphor
Without a doubt, 2020 has been the year of change. Out of necessity, how we work and where we work from are no longer what they were in the past. The struggle to adjust to a new reality has been exhausting—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Moving forward we need to manage this change better. The firstContinue reading “December 7 Day 274: Math Metaphor”
December 6 Day 273: Winning
For the first time in a month, I have caught up on my grading. It feels like a miracle. What made this weekend different from all the others? The fact that this week’s assessment was oral and not online. Yes, I spent a tremendous amount of time interviewing students during the week. But when theContinue reading “December 6 Day 273: Winning”
December 5 Day 272: Needed Rest
Nothing original today. I need a break and maybe you do too. Things to remember: “If you get tired learn to rest, not to quit.” — Banksy “My head aches, my eyes burn, my arms and legs have given up, and my face in the mirror has a grayish cast. The bed, across the room, callsContinue reading “December 5 Day 272: Needed Rest”
December 4 Day 271: How Are YOU?
I regularly check in with my students but I realize that I have not done the same with you, the reader. I would really appreciate hearing from you. Please respond: HOW ARE YOU DOING? You can reply on any of the social media platforms: WordPress (of course but unlikely), Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Five words orContinue reading “December 4 Day 271: How Are YOU?”
December 3 Day 270: This Time It’s Personal
The past three days (and by that I mean mostly today), I have been conducting the third round of interviews for oral assessments in Calculus II. The first one occurred in the second week of the quarter in groups of 3-4. The second one occurred in the fifth week of the quarter in groups ofContinue reading “December 3 Day 270: This Time It’s Personal”
December 2 Day 269: Sisyphean Task
Just two more days of class meetings and I will get that boulder up and over the hill or it will crush me under its weight once and for all. Students are feeling the same. Meant as light conversation for people arriving to class early, I asked “how is everyone doing?” A response in theContinue reading “December 2 Day 269: Sisyphean Task”
December 1 Day 268: Another Golden Moment
When the number of views and the number of visitors are consecutive Fibonacci numbers, the views per visitor metric is golden. I noted this happening once before, 212 days ago. And just like that, the moment has passed. I’m glad to have captured and appreciated it before it disappeared. I wonder how often it occurs?
Math Belongs to All of Us 