Comments on: Crazy for calculus

By: Phillip Gonring

Phillip Gonring — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:37:00 +0000

More power to the guy. He sounds like the right kind of fellow to launch an AP calculus program in a school without one.

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:49:49 +0000

Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by kriley19: Joanne Jacobs: Crazy for calculus http://bit.ly/3rebeR Full http://bit.ly/3R1hph...

By: Tracy W

Tracy W — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:27:10 +0000

Sharnon007 It’s obvious that this man has a great understanding of what he does.

He may have a great understanding of how to stimulate and engage students, but it’s far from obvious that he has a great understanding of maths.

Although my first response may have been too hasty, journalists often misquote and misunderstand things.

Darren: While I agree with being a stickler for definitions, I won’t worry at all about this guy’s being a superteacher. No, we all don’t have to be–but if he legitimately gets good results, as measured by student achievement, why would we question what he does?

Judging by the article, he hasn’t produced any results yet.

As to your more general point of why would we question what he does – the answer is the same as why we would question anything else, in order to improve our own knowledge. If he’s producing legitimiately great results on the end of year exam, but sets his students up to struggle later on at college then we should move on to questioning the placement exam. If he is getting great results and his students are well set up for college, then questioning can help figure out what he does that connects with other students. And questioning has also in the past uncovered cases of fraud or simply bad mistakes.

By: Lightly Seasoned

Lightly Seasoned — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:22:40 +0000

Well, if you’re a teacher, you can’t ever be good enough. That’s just a given.

More power to the guy. It will indeed be interesting to see if he still has 70 kids in May and how many score a 3 or better. Kids who are attracted to “the show” and the popularity of it will fade out, but if it attracts kids who might not have otherwise given it a shot, then it is probably worth it.

By: sharnon007

sharnon007 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:22:29 +0000

There are different ways to engage students- we all have to find our own strengths and utilize them. Students don’t expect all teachers to ‘entertain’- but I do think they expect to be ’stimulated and/or engaged’- and there’s MANY, MANY different ways to do that.
It’s obvious that this man has a great understanding of what he does. He’s able to use ALL of Bloom’s Taxonomy in what he does.
I’ve learned A LOT from watching comedians- what I would give to be able to have a discussion with Gallagher or Carlin- some of their ideas were ‘lightbulb ideas’ for me. Helped me learn to think in different ways.
It’s all about PERSPECTIVE…. shameful to see ‘green-eyed monster’ already! (isn’t that coveting) It’s a pity to be criticized for such a wonderful talent.
Years ago- when one-roomed schoolhouses were making way to ‘compartmentalized’ schools- I’m sure that the 1st time a ’seasoned’ teacher heard about a teacher using a game in class- I’ll bet some of the same sentiments were spewed, “I’m not here to entertain students- if they don’t memorize their facts in my class- I’ll give them a good thrashing and then have them sit in a corner with a DUNCE hat on!”

By: Tweets that mention Crazy for calculus « Joanne Jacobs -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention Crazy for calculus « Joanne Jacobs -- Topsy.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:18:22 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andrew Wetzel and kriley19, JoanneLeeJacobs. JoanneLeeJacobs said: Crazy for calculus: http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/11/crazy-for-calculus/ [...]

By: allen

allen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:29:51 +0000

It’ll be even more interesting to see if, in a year or two, he’s still teaching at Crawford. Or whether his disruptive competence has no place in San Diego Unified any more then more then a couple of other, iconic, uber-teachers had the welcome mat jerked out from under them.

By: Richard Aubrey

Richard Aubrey — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:54:27 +0000

It would be interesting to know if this guy has a life. Or a family.
And, if not, how many potential teachers there are who now and in the future will lack lives and families.
The Thernstroms, writing about this phenomenon, said you cannot build public education around the expectation that every teacher will be a charismatic, self-sacrificing martyr and genius.

By: Robert Wright

Robert Wright — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:53:13 +0000

The attention he receives will be resented by his coworkers.

They will say he’s not on the same page and he will be guilty as charged,

His time is limited.

He sill be run off campus just as Jaime Escalante was.

Schools punish excellence.

By: Ponderosa

Ponderosa — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:50:02 +0000

It’s simply idiocy to predicate a reform program for a nation’s schools on the idea that every classroom will have a Mr. Winn. Yet this ideal has sex appeal and many adherents. Teachers are expected to motivate the unmotivated, eliminate behavior problems single-handedly, boost rigor, and save souls –in other words, be Mr. Winns. Principals, parents, kids and teachers themselves internalize this ideal, with baleful results. To this extent, the Mr. Winns are a threat to practical education reform. On the other hand, the Mr. Winns remind us that teaching CAN be electrifying. Even average teachers can approach these heights given the right circumstances: strong administrative support with respect to discipline, and much more ample prep time during the school day to craft better lessons (sorry, but I’m not going to sacrifice six hours after school for the kids; I have laundry, exercise, a social life, etc. to attend to).