Only ten more days of school left in the school year! (Thank you, furlough days!)

Today was a surprisingly successful day. Students in Algebra 1 were amazingly attentive and quiet today, even though (a) it was Friday, (b) we are so near the end of school, and (c) these kids are usually a wild pack of beasts.

I think some of it had to do with the fact that I was pretty strict at the beginning of class and somehow we got into this weird situation where we had a long enough stretch of time when it got absolutely could-hear-a-pin-drop quiet and no one seemed brave enough to break the silence while working (one of those weird group psychology things, I bet). But I think the main reason for their focus was that they were doing math and doing pretty well. I must sound like a broken record by now, but I really do feel that motivation is mostly a function of whether students feel like they are or can be successful at a task.

Oh, and apparently I was voted “Most Chill Teacher” today by the students. Go me!