The light outside my window is just wrong. The sky is an orangish-grey that reminds me of fog in the predawn. The problem? It’s 1 o’clock in the afternoon. Being a Saturday, the sounds of lawnmowers and leaf blowers should abound, yet I haven’t heard many. Even traffic on our street seems lighter than usual.Continue reading “September 12 Day 188: Pandemic Dystopia”
Category Archives: Pandemic
July 21 Day 135: Living Proof
Because of this blog, I was asked by Allison Henrich and Matthew Pons with write a post for the AMS blog Living Proof: Stories of Resilience along the Mathematical Journey about my challenges and struggles teaching through the COVID-19 pandemic. I did and it appeared today. It’s an emotional reflection of Spring quarter 2020. IContinue reading “July 21 Day 135: Living Proof”
July 18 Day 132: Priceless
The cost savings for the washer repair was significant. The feeling of accomplishment that accompanied a successful repair, priceless.
July 4 Day 118: Anxious Dreaming
I usually don’t remember my dreams. But last night was different—a classic anxiety dream about teaching on the first day of the Fall Quarter to come. The location was a cross between an upscale mall and the Museum of Glass. Tables and chairs (and couches on bleachers) were set-up around glass sculptures and art displaysContinue reading “July 4 Day 118: Anxious Dreaming”
July 1, Day 115: Woah, We’re Halfway There
Even though I have been on a hiatus from the blog, I would be remiss not to notice that today we are halfway through 2020. I have spent the last two weeks on self-care: getting plenty of sleep, restarting an exercise routine, and even enjoying my first massage in over three months. It feels likeContinue reading “July 1, Day 115: Woah, We’re Halfway There”
June 17 Day 101: Drive By Celebration
To close out the academic year, the Math Club sponsored a “Drive-By” celebration. All math majors were invited. Faculty came out in force and made appropriate celebratory signs. Students took the opportunity to drop off loaned books, to sign the Pi Mu Epsilon roll book, to deposit money raised for the Pi Day Celebration, andContinue reading “June 17 Day 101: Drive By Celebration”
June 16 Day 100: Brief Return to Campus
This morning I took the COVID-19 training, attested to my current health, and let the appropriate people know when and where I intended to be on campus. It was a beautiful sunny day. I saw campus safety officers from a distance, two other faculty members, and one member of the custodial staff. That was it.Continue reading “June 16 Day 100: Brief Return to Campus”
June 15 Day 99: Surreal Shopping
It was a strange mixture of normalcy and pandemic dystopia.
June 14 Day 98: Final Post About Finals
Everything is graded. Computations are complete. I have released my decisions to the students and asked them to double check my work. It’s always better to correct errors before submission of final grades rather than after. I hit the submit button on Tuesday. Until then, is it time to: A) don a mask and goContinue reading “June 14 Day 98: Final Post About Finals”
June 13 Day 97: Congratulations Mathematics Majors of 2020
You were just awarded your degrees virtually. It’s just not the same as sitting in the Tacoma Dome and clapping as you cross the stage. It has been my pleasure to work with you at UW Tacoma. You did an amazing job pivoting capstone presentations to virtual presentations with no warning in March and youContinue reading “June 13 Day 97: Congratulations Mathematics Majors of 2020”
Math Belongs to All of Us 