my spatial challenge...

I have to admit.  I'm a spatial retard.  Entirely stupid when it comes to objects in motion.  Which makes it incredibly difficult for me to teach geometry.  Proofs , theorems, and static shapes are no problem.  It's when I need to move them that I encounter issues.  Translations, reflections, rotations (aerate!!!!), and dilations, oh my!  I'm a map turner.  If it weren't for things moving, I would have finished my engineering degree.

So, now that I've admitted to myself and the world that this is my special spatial challenge, I've got to do something about it.  I've always done their homework to look out for potential stumbles, but with the new Common Core standards, Geometry includes a lot of transformations.  I'm struggling so much with them, that I'm wondering if either (a) I'm cut out for this particular assignment, or (b) this will make me a better educator.  I'm leaning towards and hoping for (b).  I will definitely confess my secret to my students.  I believe that this will allow students to relate and feel hopeful toward their own challenges, and feel sympathetic toward me when I completely bungle something.  Plus, they always get a decent giggle out of the similarity in the words spatial and special.

Stupid rotations.  Stupid reflections.

Today was a good day...

Today was a good day.  I started my Sixth Period by telling them that I was going home unhappy.  But instead of being unhappy, I was going to be the impetus for change--I can only control myself, after all.  I told them that everything I skip any sort of team-building, I regret it. I hadn't done any team building activity at my last school because I looped with so many students that I didn't need to. Things are different and now I need to make amends. 

There was a lot of listening and helping neighbors today, and I think my students got a greater understanding of each other's shortcomings.

And my icing, the emergency, all-hands-on-deck parent meeting gave one of my more difficult cases a new perspective on schooling in general. Yay me. Yay us.