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

Thursday last week in my Trig class we continued the discussions on identities and their applications, focusing on the functions of the sums and differences of two angles.

For today it was the functions of double angles. I proceeded with some examples which also doubled as board work, so half angles have been pushed back (or is that forward?) to next meeting.

In my mechanics classes last Thursday - as I already mentioned two entries ago – we discussed projectile motion. There was only one new equation given, the one for range, and the rest were just the same ones as discussed in the projection of force vectors to the x- and y-components as well as constant velocity and constant acceleration.

I also gave an assignment to both sections, which up to now I can still see some students in the hallways trying to answer.

Again the exercise question I gave to the 1120a.m. class was just an example to the 1pm class.

Students in both subjects have already been asking about the next long exam, which they assume to be the midterms, and I just keep replying to them that I haven’t scheduled it, to prevent giving an estimated date of the exam which we may not meet because of not having covered the necessary included topics.

Last Friday the third section in mechanics lab had their experiment on composition of concurrent forces. One student who was absent last Wednesday because of illness actually performed the experiment with one of the other groups. It was the requirement David and I had set for those who are assigned to submit a written report for an experiment they missed – that they have to make up the experiment. For his report he’ll be using the data that their group recorded. At least now we know that he actually performed the experiment and will not just be analyzing the numbers based on how he imagined the procedure was done.

Another student who was absent last Wednesday scheduled his make up session today at 930am, but after I passed by the lab at the other end of the hallway at the specified time and he wasn’t there, I’m just waiting for him in the faculty room.

The group from last Wednesday who wanted be reassigned to other groups also performed the experiment again last Friday, so I guess that was the recommendation that David gave them (including the girl, who I assume will not be switching groups either). It was fortunate that they arrived more than an hour after the class had started, because by then one of the other groups had returned their equipment.

David (arriving at the same resolution as I did) also attended to them for most of the session, leaving the four other groups (including my cousin) under my direction. By properly phrasing my questions without giving them direct instructions (except to repeat what was already in the manual), they were still able to achieve a measure of analysis and independent thought without any need to resort to spoon feeding, and submit their manuals without going over the three hour class time.

The last lab class of the week is still the luckiest in terms of teacher preparation.