Math Concepts

It's a Saturday night, what else would I be doing than thinking through and planning future math units?  Well, OK, I'm not typically that cool, but grad school is making me that cool, so "Hello new exciting Saturday nights."  

I just completed the start of a unit on Quadratics.  Oh, the fun in quadratics.  Now, I appreciate a good quadratic...but to get students to appreciate or even attempt to appreciate...that's another story.  Sure you can spice up quadratics by singing the quadratic formula song to a number of different tunes so they never forget the formula.  Although, they often forget what they use it for...

Anyway, writing units, thinking about what I want my students to know and be able to do, always makes me think about my purpose in life.  It's deep, I know.  

So, here are the things I really do want my students to know and be able to do (in no particular order):  

1. Think for themselves.  Be able to make a decision and own it.  
2. Be brave to try something new.  And possibly fail at it.  
3. Make educated decisions.  Don't just jump on board because everyone else is, do a little research and soul-search if needed and have some justification for your decision.  
4. Know they are cared for.  By me.  I really do care about each one of them...even the ones that drive me a little crazy; I still care.  
5. Care for others. Genuinely be willing to help someone else.  
6. Find a passion in life.  
7. Know that they don't have to decide today what they want to be tomorrow.  It's a process, relax and don't feel the pressure to know what you are supposed to do with your life.  I still don't know.  And I'm OK with that.
8. Look up.  If even for a few minutes.  Don't be attached to your electronics so much you miss the awesome things happening right in front of you.  
9. Cook a decent meal.  This seems odd, I know, but at some point they may have to prepare a meal for someone, and they should have at least one thing they know how to cook and cook well.  Food connects people, it's important to be able to cook something.  Or bake, cookies are always good too.
10. Ask questions.  They need to advocate for themselves.  They may not always have a bunch of teachers watching their every move and at the ready to pounce in for help when they are struggling.  They must know when and who to ask for help.  
11. Be money smart.  This may be the most mathy one of all my hopes for them.  I don't want my former students buying into bad deals or being unaware of all that interest that builds up with credit cards.  Know when to spend and know when to save...and then do both the best you can with what you have.  
12. Be able to tell a joke.  Everyone needs at least one great ice breaker.  My favorite mathy one:  What's tunafish plus tunafish?  Fournafish.  Thank you favorite children's math book:  Math Curse!
13. Be proud of any nerdyness that is inside of them.  Don't hide your brains and inner nerd.  Let it shine.  
14. Have a hobby.  
15. Say "Thank You."  Appreciate what others have done for you or do for you in the future.  

That's my list right now.  I know there is more.  But what I also know is that most of them have absolutely nothing to do with knowing the quadratic formula.  I love the quadratic formula, do not get me wrong.  But sometimes it is hard to justify to some kids why they should know it.  I have my reasons they should, but if they can't do some of the things on my list from above, I think it's more important they work on some of those things sometimes.  

All right, back to my awesome Saturday night with quadratics...I feel better now, thank you.