Missing Math Class

Last night, I dreamed that I was still in high school. It was the current date, October 6, and I hadn't done any of my math assignments yet. Fortunately for me, there hadn't been any tests yet, either, but I was most concerned in the dream about the workload. Apparently, my imaginary school didn't have grades, either, because I would surely have had an F, and in today's days of PowerSchool, my parents would not have been pleased with me.

It must be all the conversations I've been having about teaching lately. Yesterday, while I was manning a booth for UD at an event down on the Lewes campus, a woman came up and took a peek at the brochure I made for the event last week. She asked about the workshops we hold for science teachers, and thinking she wanted to sign up, I told her more. Turns out she makes jewelry for teachers (she herself is a retired science teacher), and I think she may have wanted a mailing list. She showed me the autumn best-seller: a button with a pumpkin on it and a "pi" symbol over it. Get it?

I then had to mention my high school geometry teacher Frank Bonzell, who could draw a perfect circle freehand and always wore a brown tie the day he gave a pop quiz. A Cal grad, he introduced himself on the first day of school to all us freshmen and shophomores with a professionalism and an authority I only wish I could match: "Hi, I'm Frank Bonzell." They don't make too many of those anymore. I couldn't be Frank Bonzell if I tried, although I think I did a pretty good job as a teacher.

Talking about school and teaching makes me realize how many great times I experienced in my own classroom with my students. I have many fond memories and still may return to the profession.

Today, though, I write this from a very nice desk in a gorgeous building at the University, quite happy with my new job and my career path of late. I took the risk when I left my teaching job to freelance, something I had wanted to do my entire career, and had a great experience. However, after two years, I missed the structure of a traditional workday and missed the interactions one gets to enjoy in an office. When you bill your time and want to give your client the most value possible for his or her money, every break you take is off the clock. It's extremely luxurious to be able to devote as much time as I want to to the creation of a brochure, for example, or to take a moment to chat with colleagues.

It has been 15 years since I last completed a math homework assignment. I'm not counting my college classes, although perhaps I should, since I barely passed Civil Engineering 170, was challenged by Cosmic Horizons, and had to be on top of my game for Statistics 40. I was always chagrined that, having been an advanced math student during my K-12 education, my math interest definitely ceased after Calculus AB. I still tell the story of trying to pass the second semester of that class. I had managed to pull a respectable B- the first semester, but for some reason, I hit a wall the second semester and flunked several tests rather miserably. Frantic that Stanford would decide they didn't want me that much after all upon seeing my second semester grade, I paid daily visits to my teacher to beg him to let me drop the class, help me understand what I failed to comprehend, or somehow save my bacon. Bless Mr. Chaddha's heart, he refused to let me drop the class and instead cut me a deal: If I did well on my semester project and passed my final and could earn a passing grade in the class, he would give me a "Pass," rather than a letter grade. If I couldn't pull it off, he'd give me a "No Mark," and I wouldn't get credit for the class. I decided I could live with that.

My good friend Josh Miller, home for the summer from Brown, taught me fractals, and I put together a killer presentation, if I do say so myself, for the end of the year. I can't remember what grade I got, but I did well. I really enjoyed it, too. I managed to pass the final with a C or C+. At a 94.5%, I had enough juice to get my Pass and wave Calculus goodbye...and Stanford hello. I'll always be grateful to Mr. Chaddha, and when I had students who were truly trying, I always took Mr. Chaddha's example and went a little farther to help them out.

It was a happy day when I got the refund check for the Calculus AP test I didn't take, too.