This week has a lot due dates and deadlines converging. I’ve spent a fair few too many late nights trying to get ahead of regular work so that I can add in the special requests. I’m not complaining. It is a privilege to participate in these ways: Working with colleagues to create a special awardContinue reading “May 19 Day 72: For Math and Love”
Author Archives: Jenny Quinn
May 18 Day 71: Did It!
If you are keeping track—it’s after midnight but I cleared my grading queue to zero. It won’t last long so I wanted to take this moment to celebrate! Now to sleep. Sweet dreams.
May 17 Day 70: Small Celebrations
Sometimes I need to celebrate little things. Rather than rising early to start work, I stayed snuggled under my covers and began grading. Finishing the first of three Matrix Algebra assignments before ever getting up, pushed away the gloom and burden of grading—tricking me into feeling optimistic about work for the rest of the day.Continue reading “May 17 Day 70: Small Celebrations”
May 16 Day 69: To Do
For those of you not familiar with the Canvas Teacher app, the 114 in the red oval represents the number of items in need of grading this weekend. Some are quick check-offs: complete or incomplete. About half are assessments from my mastery-based precalculus course. The rest come from my writing intensive matrix theory course (soContinue reading “May 16 Day 69: To Do”
May 15 Day 68: Powering Through
Today marks the tenth Friday since the start of remote teaching. We are at the point of this journey that each day feels the same and every class gets just a little bit harder to find motivation. Student participation is lagging too. I hear the wisdom of Michael Bluth, played by Jason Bateman in ArrestedContinue reading “May 15 Day 68: Powering Through”
May 14 Day 67: Streaking
Did the title make you look? WordPress would have me believe that a compelling title is all I need to make it in the blog-o-sphere. So let’s test that hypothesis. What were you thinking when you read the title? Petri dishes and inoculating loops? Lights across the sky? Naked runners? Hair highlights? DuoLingo? Honestly, it’sContinue reading “May 14 Day 67: Streaking”
May 13 Day 66: Synchronicity
Access, community and MAA Connect were apparently on several people’s minds and for some reason they decided to find me today. First was an email query from a long time member, asking about why the Mathematical Association of America has moved away from listserves in favor of MAA Connect, the association equivalent of a courseContinue reading “May 13 Day 66: Synchronicity”
May 12 Day 65: The Smell of Rain
There is something comforting about the smell of rain through the bedroom window, especially on a day filled with teaching and zoom obligations. Yes, I know there is a word to describe the smell, petrichor. As my microbiologist husband reminds me, I should be thanking the soil bacteria, Streptomyces, for producing geosmin, the molecule thatContinue reading “May 12 Day 65: The Smell of Rain”
May 11 Day 64: Scientific Method
Ok, I admit it, participant placement in Zoom meetings is becoming a bit of a personal obsession. What started as a puzzle (May 2 Day 55: Start Small) with a cute solution was tested in a slightly larger setting (May 5 Day 58: First Approximation) and found wanting. From observations made while teaching to theContinue reading “May 11 Day 64: Scientific Method”
May 10 Day 63: A Grading Travelogue
It’s the weekend and that means serious grading. Today’s task: the Matrix Theory midterm that I gave on Thursday. Twenty four students, six pages each. I vowed to grade each page in a different location. Before I begin, a kudos to my technology. I downloaded the exams to a folder in my iCloud and canContinue reading “May 10 Day 63: A Grading Travelogue”
Math Belongs to All of Us 