Looking Back and Looking Forward #MTBoSBlog18

This is my June 18th #MTBoSBlog18 post - posting on the 18th of each month.  We have one more final exam and 1.5 more days of school.  It has been a great end to school temperature-wise until it hit 95 today.

I would say year #13 was a good one for me.  It was pretty uneventful and no drama which I appreciate.  I had all Accelerated classes this year, so we moved fast.  I had a new prep - Acc Geometry.  I used materials from a colleague who has been teaching it but made it my own and I really loved it.  I had 3 classes of it.  Unfortunately, I only have 1 of it next year.  But, on the other hand, I will have 3 classes of Acc Algebra 2 which could mean I will have a lot of the same kids and I loved my geo kids this year. 

I will have a new prep next year.  It is college prep level Geometry.  I wanted just one year of not planning a new prep, but alas it wasn't meant to be, so I will create this one.

I will say I did use Sean Sweeney's Desmos Marbleslides challenge all year.  I had a few of the same kids do it each week.  We switch classes and students half way through the year and some students that didn't even have me second semester kept doing it! 

I kept up with my Birthday poster all year too.

We were not able to complete the 2018 challenge, but we made a good attempt.

I incorporated a lot of Desmos into my new Geometry class.

My proposals for RIMTA and NCTM Regionals in RI and CT were both accepted for Dec and Oct of next school year.  They are both on Desmos, so I am excited to share.

Last summer, I did a lot of traveling and a lot of school work.  I decided to slow it down a bit this summer.  We have a new lake house in Maine and my plan is to be there and kayak fish, read, roast marshmallows, swing in my grown up swings by the lake and just be.

It will be the first year in my life not going to my grandmother's in Vermont.  She is still alive and kicking at 95 and it is my favorite holiday because we have a huge family, but the 4th is on a stupid Wednesday and all my family has to work on the 3rd and the 5th.  Yes, all my family BUT me has to work.  I have four boys - ages 17-26. They all live at home and they all finally have jobs - and good jobs.  I am so excited!  So, we will go to my brother's for the 4th in a neighboring town and it will be all good.

I am getting ready to leave on our youth group's mission trip.  My friend and I are in charge of it and we went big this year.  We are taking 100 people to Houston to clean up after Hurricane Harvey.  All 100 of us will travel in bright orange shirts this Sunday on the same, non-stop JetBlue flight to Houston.  Then, we will split up into two sites and work for the week. 

One month from now, actually July 16th, I will be traveling to my 3rd TMC in Cleveland.  My colleague, Kathy, and I are presenting for the 3 morning slots on Discovering Geometry using Whiteboards and Verbal Cues.  So, we have been working on this at the end of the school year.  I am nervous but really excited to share all the geometry goodness and having fellow teachers doing the geometry at the boards and discussing it. We will experience it one day, analyze it the next, and create it on the final day.  My husband is joining us.  The company he works for has a plant out there and he has been there and has friends to visit.  We are renting a car and driving, him, me, and Kathy, and then we rented an airbnb.  It should be an adventure to say the least.

So, Houston, Maine, Cleveland, and back to Maine for most of August. That's my plan.

Here's to an awesome summer!