We tend to act as if multiplying is repeated addition. This misses a key, crucial difference between the two operations: WE CANNOT ADD UNLIKE THINGS. We can absolutely multiply unlike things. Sometimes, the result doesn’t make any real world sense, but we can do it. This is because multiplication doesn’t care about units, and addition…
Author: Clio
Raising a Son Who Cries
My ten year old son cried in public the other day. This was noteworthy because it wasn’t. At the time, I didn’t even think much about it. I had had a rough day. He hadn’t seen me in thirteen hours, and we went out a local coney island to grab a late meal. He was…
Nightmare
I tend to have two kinds of nightmares. My scariest nightmares are usually things that were just plain silly when I woke up. For instance, years ago, I dreamed that the next door neighbor was reaching into my room through a missing window and putting things on my bed. No matter how many times I…
Education and the Legacy of Slavery
During the most recent Democrat debate, Former Vice President Joe Biden was asked, “What responsibility do you think that Americans need to take to repair the legacy of slavery in our country?” Biden started out by talking about his background opposing redlining and unfair banking practices before moving on to education. After discussing increasing funding…
How Not To Create a Safe Space
We liberals like to talk about safe spaces. We want to build spaces where everyone feels comfortable. We don’t like hostility. I believe many of us live in a shy box, fearing rejection if we say something unpopular, and so we want to have a space where we can express ourselves without fear. I’ve come…
WHY?
As part of the first week icebreaker activities, we did Three Things on Friday. For “Three Things”, students in groups come up with a list of three things that satisfy a scenario. The first one is common enough: “You’re trapped on a deserted island with three people of your choosing. Who are they?” Last year,…
Photographs and Bias
I live in a mostly black neighborhood. I just saw a white man, a 20-something, standing on the street corner clearly taking a picture of something down the street. It could have been a series of photos, it could have been video, I don’t know. At first, I noticed I was watching him with mild…
Year Eight, Week One
My first week of school is now over. During this week more than any, one thing that’s on my mind is where we start with our trust levels with students. These comments are based on my experience as a high school teacher. Some teachers seem to think that all of our students lie to us,…
Observing the Whole Person
I love underdog stories. I think most of us do. As a teacher, I’m particularly aligned to admire the tale of someone overcoming a great obstacle in order to succeed. It’s important to remember that our most vulnerable youth can confront the obstacles put in their way. At the same time, we can become so…
Express Yourself
Watching my child play online with his friends, I notice that one of the primary ways that we learn how to navigate our emotions is by seeing others express them. It is common and normal to playfully refuse to follow requests, and to make inappropriate requests. My child is currently playing Minecraft, for instance, and…