| Biographical Non-Fiction posted February 10, 2021 | Chapters: |
...5 6 -7- 8... 
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A geometry class
A chapter in the book Ruminations from a Winding Career
Sometimes Math Doesn't Matter
by Rdfrdmom2
| Background This is my 49th year in education. I have had a wide variety of jobs over those years and decided to share some stories and ruminations about my journey. |
As a first-year teacher in an overcrowded high school, I was without a base, moving from classroom to classroom pushing a grocery cart, trying my best not to look like a 21-year-old homeless chick. At least the teacher who was housed in the room where I taught my last class felt sorry for me and let me hang my coat in her closet in the morning so it would be there at the end of the day when I was ready to go home.
Other than having to rush all over the building to get to my classes before the tardy bell, I had the perfect schedule. I had three sections of college-bound geometry students and two sections of general math 8 students. While I have always loved teaching math to my students, I particularly loved teaching geometry. I began and ended my day with a geometry class while the other one was sandwiched between my two very diametrically opposed eighth-grade classes.
On this particular day, I was calling roll in my first-period geometry class. I always walked around the room when I did this so I could get close to the student and make a quick assessment of that student’s mood on a given day. It helped me cut off a lot of problems at the pass over the years.
As I was finishing up roll call, I couldn’t help but notice that two of my best male students were acting like we were about to have a major test for which they were not prepared. As I placed my gradebook in my cart, I could hear the boys trying to argue quietly.
“What do you mean you’re not coming? We’ve been planning this for weeks,” hissed Troy.
“Man, it sounded like such a great idea at the time but I hadn’t thought about what my ole man would do to me if he found out. I just can’t risk that,” retorted Jeff.
I walked back to the guys and invited them to wait on the porch of our trailer (mobile unit) while I got the class started, giving them my best teacher’s eye, which students had told me was pretty wicked. The two boys stepped out the door and I moved to the board to give the students their assignment – a review of work we had been doing over the past week which would prepare them for an upcoming test.
“Okay, folks. I’ll be right out here on the porch so I will be able to hear you if you think this is play time. My advice is to get this work done.”
“Yes, ma’am,” responded a chorus of voices.
When I stepped onto the porch there was only one young man awaiting me – Jeff. Before I could say a word, Jeff started spilling his guts.
“Miss Brown, I tried to tell Troy he was already in trouble with you and he was going to be in more hot water if he left. He said he had a note for an early dismissal at 8:10 and he was leaving whether you liked it or not. He even showed it to me.”
“Okay, Jeff. If Troy has an early dismissal why didn’t you just get one for whatever the two of you had planned for the day?”
“Neither my mom nor my dad would write a note for me to skip school for the day, Miss Brown, so I just didn’t ask them, and I knew better than to forge either one of their names.”
“Well, good for you. Let’s go do some geometry.”
Jeff and I entered the room and he began working on the assignment. About 8:30, Troy walked back into class and handed me a tardy note as if it was the first time he had been in school that day. He didn’t look near as chipper as he had when he left my room earlier.
“Troy, are you okay?’
“I think I’m going to be.”
I decided I would let it rest for that day, but I had an uneasy feeling that there was a much bigger picture that I was missing. I decided I would check with some of my teacher buddies to determine if they were aware of anything going on.
***********to be continued************
Other than having to rush all over the building to get to my classes before the tardy bell, I had the perfect schedule. I had three sections of college-bound geometry students and two sections of general math 8 students. While I have always loved teaching math to my students, I particularly loved teaching geometry. I began and ended my day with a geometry class while the other one was sandwiched between my two very diametrically opposed eighth-grade classes.
On this particular day, I was calling roll in my first-period geometry class. I always walked around the room when I did this so I could get close to the student and make a quick assessment of that student’s mood on a given day. It helped me cut off a lot of problems at the pass over the years.
As I was finishing up roll call, I couldn’t help but notice that two of my best male students were acting like we were about to have a major test for which they were not prepared. As I placed my gradebook in my cart, I could hear the boys trying to argue quietly.
“What do you mean you’re not coming? We’ve been planning this for weeks,” hissed Troy.
“Man, it sounded like such a great idea at the time but I hadn’t thought about what my ole man would do to me if he found out. I just can’t risk that,” retorted Jeff.
I walked back to the guys and invited them to wait on the porch of our trailer (mobile unit) while I got the class started, giving them my best teacher’s eye, which students had told me was pretty wicked. The two boys stepped out the door and I moved to the board to give the students their assignment – a review of work we had been doing over the past week which would prepare them for an upcoming test.
“Okay, folks. I’ll be right out here on the porch so I will be able to hear you if you think this is play time. My advice is to get this work done.”
“Yes, ma’am,” responded a chorus of voices.
When I stepped onto the porch there was only one young man awaiting me – Jeff. Before I could say a word, Jeff started spilling his guts.
“Miss Brown, I tried to tell Troy he was already in trouble with you and he was going to be in more hot water if he left. He said he had a note for an early dismissal at 8:10 and he was leaving whether you liked it or not. He even showed it to me.”
“Okay, Jeff. If Troy has an early dismissal why didn’t you just get one for whatever the two of you had planned for the day?”
“Neither my mom nor my dad would write a note for me to skip school for the day, Miss Brown, so I just didn’t ask them, and I knew better than to forge either one of their names.”
“Well, good for you. Let’s go do some geometry.”
Jeff and I entered the room and he began working on the assignment. About 8:30, Troy walked back into class and handed me a tardy note as if it was the first time he had been in school that day. He didn’t look near as chipper as he had when he left my room earlier.
“Troy, are you okay?’
“I think I’m going to be.”
I decided I would let it rest for that day, but I had an uneasy feeling that there was a much bigger picture that I was missing. I decided I would check with some of my teacher buddies to determine if they were aware of anything going on.
***********to be continued************
These are stories and ruminations from my career that took turns I never expected. It will not be chronological. A special thanks to cleo85 for the use of Right Angles in Triangles. It was the closest picture to a geometry class I could find.
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and 2 member cents. Artwork by cleo85 at FanArtReview.com
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