Summer

Whew! That was a busy one. We moved to a new house, while our old one was on the market. We kept up our typical teacher adventures and had A LOT of fun.  The best part of summer is keeping a slower, more deliberate pace that allows for for reflection and thought.  

​The very first weekend of summer, I was returning home from running in Charlevoix with a good friend. It's a long drive and partway home, I was able to pick up a TedTalk. The topic was "Nudging." I had never formally heard of this before and was so mesmerized that I missed my freeway exit. The link to the Ted Talk is here.

Nudge theory has to do with using indirect suggestion teamed with positive reinforcement to encourage certain behaviors. I'm wondering how we can use this theory to promote positive change in our students and in our staff? Think of the possibilities: homework completion, throwing away lunch trash, copy machine etiquette, etc. 

Here's the wiki link for a little more background. 

And a couple of  youtube videos about Nudge Theory:

Yesterday, which was essentially my last day of summer, I went to the Allegan Antique Fair.  I was looking for something very specific and didn't want to spend a lot of time, so efficiency was a must. There are several parallel barns, full of antique dealers and I was planning my path.  I quickly realized that the number of barns was even, so I'd be able to come out the same side I entered, and keep up my super efficient path. Kind of silly, but the elegant math connection brought me joy.  Coincidentally, I caught this segment of Science Friday on the way home. 

I sure hope I can inspire my students with the elegance, beauty and joy of mathematical connections this year.