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

In my mechanics classes last Monday, I gave some more examples on friction, which I got from one of the “problems and solutions” textbooks that were part of the donation of the other schools in the system (and around the world). I think now that we’ve chosen the books we want from the stacks and boxes given, that those we passed up will now be passed on to other schools in the system.

The problems I gave the classes started out with one-dimensional motion, and afterwards included derivations for acceleration (based on friction) and finally, velocity, showing once again that the students needed to understand all the fundamental concepts even with the new topics.

I’m already thinking of coming up with small flashcards where the questions on the basics can be randomized. That way, even if the questions repeat (either every session or even the same session), at least I hope they will be drilled into the heads of the students.

I ended each session with some examples using not just two-dimensional motion, but with the inclined plane where the direction of the friction is not horizontal or vertical but parallel to the incline, and the normal force is not opposite in direction to the weight anymore, but perpendicular to the incline.

There were groans and cries when I introduced this, because this was the part of the Wednesday midterm exam I gave that most of them had a difficult time with. Hopefully though, having more examples about it will make them more familiar with the scenario.

Some of my students, including Justin, asked for their current class standing, not having been content with the equation I gave them for computing it themselves based on the results of their quizzes and exams that I returned to them.

This is because unlike last term, I did not post the erstwhile grading sheet anymore. With only 16 out of 57 students in both classes having a percentage of above 60, I think that it will not encourage them to do better in the remaining weeks.

I just wrote their percentages on scraps of paper that I gave them, one for Trig and another for mechanics (for those who were my students in both).

Justin, in fact, even asked me for the maximum grade that he could get at this point. Since I told them before that the performance during the midterms would determine the frequency of the remaining tests, I gave him the various scenarios, starting with only one exam left before the finals, up to having four quizzes until then, and the scores he’d have to get to assure a passing grade.

Surprisingly, our secretary, Jenny, was already scheduling the finals. She wanted my mechanics classes on the first day, asked if it could be consecutive with the lab exam, and if she could schedule the Trig finals simultaneous with the Calculus, which do not have the same students anyway (only those who have passed Trig can take up the Calculus subjects).

She also started assigning the proctoring schedules, and asked me if I will be okay with proctoring one of the computer programming exams at lunchtime.

Wow, the term is winding down fast.