Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

Yesterday in Trig I finished discussing the current chapter within the first thirty minutes. That left the rest of the time for reviewing for the quiz on Thursday. The board work started with the conversion exercises we did from the first week of discussion, which they had somewhat forgotten and scrambled through their notes to recall. Also, for once they were complete, which I told them is an additional bonus in their class standing. This includes Brian, the student I failed in Graphing, whom I have seen attend less than five times in the past four weeks.

These students seemed more confident about the quiz in Trig though than in our mechanics class.

Some things I forgot to mention about last Friday’s lab class: one of the students, the group mate of my cousin, asked point blank if there was any realistic application to the activities they were doing.

I clarified to him that the first three activities: measurement, computation of errors, and graphing, were three aspects that will be assumed they have mastered when they apply them on the experiments, which begin this week.

So far, also, I have only received four diskettes from the groups for the format of the individual reports. That means six groups (from all three classes) have not yet submitted their disks. I should probably post reminders about it along the corridor, so that all the groups would have the document template returned to them on Wednesday when we perform the first experiment.

In my mechanics classes I discussed the answers to the questions in the quiz, which drew mostly frustrated gasps when they realized how easy it actually was. Again, it’s apparently the reputation of the subject that hinders their comprehension. And to boost their grade, I gave them an assignment, which is taken from the textbook.

Speaking of which, the book supplier arrived today with my complimentary copy of the text we’re using (which had “not for sale” stamped all around it). She said that they’d just provide me with a photocopy of the solutions manuals and test banks within the week.

Today some engineering students also asked me if they’d be using the textbook for the next two terms, for electricity and magnetism, optics and thermodynamics. I said yes. For the computer science and business administration majors, I think they’re only going to use it until next term, the first trimester of the coming school year.

Also in mechanics I gave my first special project of the term. I’m doubting it’ll be the only special project I give, but I don’t want the students to rely on it to pass my subject, that’s why I told the student to keep quiet about it for now.

It’s actually a set up we’re going to be using in the projectile motion experiment in the lab, that requires a little bit of carpentry. Like every other extra requirement I have ever given to my students, it’s of practical use to my teaching.