Our geometry unit is pretty much wrapped up. This is always my favorite all year. It is so easy to do hands-on activities that students enjoy. We made tangrams, made 3-D figures, learned how to construct triangles, perpendicular bisectors, designed, made and flew kites, learned all the normal stuff too. It is so rewarding to see students like little Annie who has struggled so all year, blossom in geometry because she can see it and touch it.

Now we are starting into some work on ratios and proportional reasoning which I will tie back into similar triangles eventually. Today students worked in groups to measure various bdoy parts. Tomorrow they will use these measurements to draw life-size replicas of themselves. The next step.... to scale smaller versions of themselves, using proportions to find the measurements.

Looped in all this I am trying to do some sampling activities. We want to count the grass at the football field, and today was our day to take our foot by foot cardboard "window" to count sections, but it was SNOWING so we decided to wait to a warmer day!

Next week is camp... I am so excited. This is the best 3 days of 7th grade without a doubt. THis group of kids will be awesome campers. We have so many new plans - square dancing one night, a campfire sing-along (an idea way past due...) complete with so'mores. Add in the normal stuff - canoeing, hiking, survival, archery, air rifle, photo scavenger hunt, stream, shirt making, woodshop, etc.... what more could a kid (and an overgrown kid... ME!!) ask for for 3 days fun.
I think the best part for me is my own daughter.. my 19 year old lost soul of a child... is going the second year to teach classes - stream is her specialty. To watch her there with those girls especially - digging in the mud and muck, getting them to find critters and touch them... I am so amazed. She is really good with them.. I wish she could see this the way I do!

ahhhh..... life is good.... I love my job... I love my job... and this time... it is a sincere I love my job day!