7 Takes during Lent Edition

Haven't done one of these in a while.

-ONE-

Although far from perfect, I have been doing fairly well in keeping with my Lenten vows.  Since the start of Lent, I have completed a read through of Genesis and Job.  I've already wrote a reflective piece on Genesis that you can read here if you want.  Since I just finished Job today, you'll probably see a piece on that coming shortly.

-TWO-

Last Saturday, I put air in my tires and went out on a 40 minute bike ride and covered 8.5 miles.  What a wonderful feeling to get out and exercise!  Unfortunately, I'll be bringing my bike to the shop tomorrow because of a recall about a part that holds the wheel on.  Here's to hoping they don't keep it before the next patch of beautiful weather.

-THREE-

At the very least, it's been interesting to monitor the changes I have in teaching my math classes.  Over the course of the year, I've probably changed all my daily routines and policies about three times.  I know that's not desirable, but I just don't like the idea of waiting until next year to change it.  What if that's no good, too?  I definitely know that all my classes are better now than they were in September and October.  But I have to commend my students for being so tolerant and flexible regarding my rookie-teacher-like-ways.

-FOUR-

Since I've already shamelessly promoted myself in this post, I might as well do it again.  Here's an educational rant that anyone in public education should check out.  In fact, even if you aren't you should know where your tax dollars are going anyways.

-FIVE-

I've been enjoying the run that the Penguins have been making.  Although the last handful of games haven't been anything to write home about, their impressive 11-game win streak contained some of the best NHL level hockey I have seen from this team since the cup run in 2009.  I'm looking forward to seeing them do exceptionally well in the playoffs.

-SIX-

I realized that I haven't read any books in a long time and I hope to change that this summer.  Although I'm not interested in obtaining a copy now, it would be nice to take a shot at the "Tim Keller Marriage Book" everyone at the church talks about periodically.  If anyone is done with their copy by June, do you think I could borrow it for a month or two?

-SEVEN-

If anyone reading this wins that half-billion Mega Millions jackpot tonight, I wouldn't mind if you slipped me just enough to pay off my student loans.  And just for the record, I'd barely call that greed; it will only be about  0.012% of your total winnings.  kthxbye.

For more takes, see Anne or Jen.

Slowing Down Students for the Right Reasons

Last week I was given a rare opportunity to talk with J, a student who has been a blessing to me all year.  Here's a few things you should know about J first through.  J is in the lowest-level math class that the school offers.  Contrary to the other students in the class, J seems to flourish in every topic I've covered this year.  Up until a little while ago, I saw a student who wasn't being challenged, which in turn made me feel as though I wasn't giving them the education they deserved.  So in the feeling of regret, I started to plan a way for J to take the Algebra regents in January as opposed to waiting another full year.

But during that conversation last week, J said things like "glad to take this course," and, "a lot more confident in math now."  Now that's music to a math teachers ears!  As I may have mentioned here before, mathematics is topic where you need a mastery on previous material before moving onward.  Clearly J was put in the right course at the right time and getting an opportunity to gain full confidence and mastery in the basics of math is invaluable.  Few students in public school can honestly say that they have more confidence at the end of the year than when class began.

So this makes me start thinking of the idea of No Child Left Behind.  Since NCLB, the trend in education has been to push the student up to the next grade, regardless of the means.  Of course, that wasn't its theoretical design, but that's how it is practiced.  To have J retained for one year in mathematics is going to have a payoff in the years to come.  It's dangerous to write legislation that applies to all people, and even more so when it applies to children and education.  When we fail to see children as individuals in both ability and character, there is going to be times where we be doing them a disservice.  At this point, it's a hope and prayer that we can understand that it is alright for some students to learn at a slower place as long as it is for the right reasons.  Just as much as the bright students deserved to be challenged at a level that fits their pace, students who haven't been given the same privileges and advantages should be offered the same.  And those decisions can be made in confidence when staff and parents are able to work together.  If the nation is going to depend on the public school system for their main facet of education, then we better prepare ourselves to tackle these (and much bigger) challenges with open minds and creative solutions that doesn't treat the students as yearly batches educational products.

Music Mondays

Relient K - The Last, the Lost, the Least

Live a life of privilege, 

pushing back the last, the lost, the least of these

To dull the edge of conscience with conceit

Live a life and see the world

Feel its weight on the shoulders of the least of these
It spins and twirls without rest or relief

We all, we all wear dignity

It covers the strong, the weak

We all, we all wear dignity

Even the last, the lost, the least

Step into a spacious place

Where pride and right will give way to the least of these

To know the face of a who a man can be

His image shown

When we give our lives, our time, our own

To feed, to clothe those in His image we have left alone

We all, we all wear dignity

God help the blind like me

Finding at last a voice we cry

And see with clear, unblinking eyes

Music Mondays

Red - Pieces

I'm here again, a thousand miles away from You

A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am

I tried so hard, thought I could do this on my own

I've lost so much along the way

Then I see Your face, I know I'm finally Yours

I find everything I thought I lost before

You call my name, I come to You in pieces

So You can make me whole

I've come undone

But You make sense of who I am

Like puzzle pieces in Your hand

I tried so hard

This Week in Mr. Kovac's Classroom...

Actually, most of my progress this week was made outside the classroom.  I finally got an opportunity to share with (all) my colleagues the education website Khan Academy.  To keep it brief, this tool can single-handedly turn around math education as we know it.  If you're home schooling, an elementary or an upper level math teacher, you should really out this site.  If you want to know more information about it, contact me and I'll give you a brief summary on how it works.

But what I really wanted to do today is write some quotes I got from this week.

When writing corrections on a math quiz, D writes:
"I forgot to simplify the fraction, thus my answer did not conform to the established mathematical standards of notation and simplification."

Also:  While on hall duty, M and her male friend F sit next to me.
Me: What are you doing this weekend M?
M: I'm going tanning.  Oh! Mr. Kovac you should go tanning with me!
-- I shoot M a terrified and awkward face --
F: I don't think Mr. Kovac's wife would like that.


Oh, there is no place like public schools.

Thoughts on the Patriarchs

My Lenten practice has now brought me to the end of Genesis, and I thought this might be an appropriate time to share some thoughts I had.  When I study the Bible, I tend to more attention to people than I do events.  So it was surprising to me that the Patriarchs of the Bible, who are usually credited as righteous and holy people, have a wide range of faults and sins.  In this way, the men of faith who came after them as well as the Christians of today, have something very much in common with the Patriarchs of old.

Adam, though perfectly provided for in every way by God himself was tricked into believing that he wanted more than what was given to him.

Cain, the first offspring of Adam, burned with jealously and murdered his own brother, Abel.

Abraham was impatient and basically sold his wife as a prostitute (twice) to save himself from being persecuted, despite being given God's protection and blessing.  In a later instance, a domestic dispute between his wife Sarah and her maidservant, Hagar, forces a division between Abraham's two sons, Ishmael and Isaac.

Jacob was a manipulator (and borderline cheater when it comes to Esau's inheritance).  Furthermore, he was unable to deal with conflict among his wives, as well as his children.

Although I know this might cause people to stumble for a multitude for reasons.  But keep in mind that no man in the history of The Faith has ever been considered "good" or "righteous" or "holy" based on their own merit.  All these wrongful actions and character flaws developed when the said person decided to go against God's instruction and guidance.  The writer of Genesis (Moses) made this point very clear throughout this book of the Bible.  If it was worth covering up or getting rid of these events, they would have been eliminated.  But as Christians should know, this has to be known part of our history; anyone who leaves God to follow their own way is sowing the seed of sin and destruction.  Not even the "mighty and important" Patriarchs of the Bible were immune to this truth.  The sinful nature of man is contrasted to that of the actions and words of Jesus in the New Testament.  Without this very obvious illustration of man's brokenness do we see how praiseworthy Jesus becomes.