Pet Pics

I told my students I would try to post something on Google Classroom every day just to check in with them. Yesterday I posted a video of my dog (big surprise there, right?) and requested that they respond with info about their pets or even pictures. I got an amazing response from over half of my 109 students. In fact, seeing adorable animals flooding my inbox all day was just the day-brightener I needed.

Here is the video I sent them this morning - a compilation of all the dog/cat/horse/fish/lizard/snake/rabbit pics. Teachers got in on it too!

May it bring you as much joy as it brought me.

Meyer Inspires

We all took some time out for popcorn and reading today - POP into reading with this great video from Mr. Meyer!

Solving Equations and Solving Rubik's Cubes

Sometimes the solution to a complex equation involves many steps that look meaningless all by themselves.  We are learning about properties that can help us rearrange equations to make them more "solvable" and it is just like these amazing Rubik's Cube Solvers!  Their first few steps look like they "don't get them any closer to a solution" but actually they are setting themselves up for success!

Intro Slide Show 2019

Click here to learn more about Mrs. Haglin as well as info about 7th and 8th grade math policies.

Slope Dude

RIP Slope Dude.  May we carry on your legacy by always remembering slope.

Your adventurous life and your fateful ski trip were not in vain.

Slope Dude - thank you for helping us identify the slope of a line.  

Let Kids Get Bored Enough to Read

As I have mentioned previously, I am a big fan of kids getting bored.  It allows room for creativity, productivity, and . . . reading.

My kids love YouTube, Netflix, and Fortnite as much as anyone, and the pull is strong to drift toward digital distraction whenever they are presented with empty time.  Isn't it the same for adults?  (Looking at you Instagram, Facebook, and - I confess - Candy Crush.)

The moment we run out of things to do, we pick up our phones and settle in.  How many hours are lost that could be spent developing ourselves in some other way?

I do not propose taking it all away - not from ourselves and not from our kids.  I do suggest limiting it for the purpose of producing boredom.  Yes, intentionally.

Before you make any big changes in this direction, I suggest filling your house with a stack of great books.  The library is amazing for this, or Scholastic Book Orders, or even just Amazon.  Here are some suggestions for middle-schoolers.

Here are some concrete ways I am trying to foster time to be bored for my kids:

* No cell use in the car.  Ever.  Bring a book.

*15 minutes of screen time on school nights.  Yup, that's it.  Go get a book.

* Earn 15 extra minutes of screen time by putting in a 15+ minute workout of any kind.

*When the weather is nice, no watching shows on Netflix or YouTube.  Go outside or read a book.

Sometimes they hate it - especially when a friend with much more screen time texts and asks them to play.  And I say no.  But most often they have thanked me for it.  They are too young to choose intentional, productive boredom for themselves, and I am giving them the gift of choosing it for them.

Now, to have the self-control to choose the same thing for myself . . . wish me luck.

Visual Math - Factorization

Students were begging to watch this longer today.  It's a visual representation of factorization and it's REALLY COOL!

Click here to watch.