Principles of Equality

Today, I gave a lecture on how to solve equations using the Addition/Subtraction Principles of Equality (DEF: You may add (or subtract) the same value from both sides of the equation without changing the solutions to the equation.) I wanted to go over more material, but they already seemed uneasy about today's stuff...

I started out with 47 people. Now I have about 32. That's about a 68% retention rate. It's OK considering that some colleges a have retention rate of 40-60%

prodigal students

'tis the part of the season where students come back from where ever they've been (other than in class!)

E.S.= Mr. S is probably in his mid-to-late twenties. He's always trying to hustle me, having an excuse in every pocket. When he was attending classes, he was usually 15 minutes late to class and didn't have any paper or a pencil with him to take notes. He would have to borrow something from somebody. He earned an F on the first exam and barely did the HW. My last memory of him (last month) was when he brought his two toddlers with him to an exam day. It was at least 20 minutes into class, and I had already passed out the exam and was doing my proctering, when I heard a rumble coming down the hallway. I looked outside the classroom to see Mr. S, with two kids in tow...riding Big Wheels...making hella noise. I told him, "hey, you can't bring them inside like that...people are trying to take a test". Mr S replies, "awwwww...so what...I can't take my exam?" (I let him take it in the hallway, so he could keep watch over his brood...he got an F on that too)

Anyway, today after a month of absences, he finds me on school grounds and says to me "C'mon Mr. Cruz, let me back into class...I'll do good. I'll catch up. My kids have been sick, and I've had to deal with a funeral." I told him, "Try again next semester...I've already given you a chance. You're too far behind and won't pass. Next time stop messing around. You've got to come to class prepared. This is college now."

C.M.=I mentioned C.M. in a previous post. She was the one going through spousal abuse and also did some jail time. She's missed about three weeks of classes. Though a handful, she's improved greatly in the class and earned an A on the last exam. Today she wanted to come back into the fold. Because I know that she will truly try to catch-up, I'm willing to work with her on material she's missed. She introduced me to some new linggo today: "funk season" as in

"Damn Mr. Cruz, you shoulda seen it in my philosphy class...we was talkin about stereotypes when this lady, (whispers) she's white, says 'For example, some people say black people are dumb'. Then all these young knuckle heads start shouting 'Oh HELL NO!! it's funk season now! it's funk season now!!'.

They was about to box, Mr. Cruz! I had to tell them 'It's just an example! It's just an example!' "

so funk season = some ass-whuppin is about to begin...