TeacherAppreciationWeek

This is obviously the time to say that Christopher's math teacher for the second half of the year, Nancy Woeckener, told one of the other moms way back in September: "I don't believe in giving kids homework their parents are going to have to do."

Mrs. Woeckener has been a terrific teacher for Christopher, and for me.

Not only did she not assign homework for Christopher's parents to do, but when she taught a unit that stumped the moms (on figuring compound interest, and, yes, I am embarrassed)—she wrote out a precise mathematical explanation of what she was teaching and sent it home to all of us.

I now know how to figure compound interest the easy way, using the commutative property, thanks to Mrs. Woeckener!

(I know that I know how to figure compound interest the easy way, because another friend of mine, whose son is in a different math class, had to ask me the other day how to do it. She'd forgotten, probably because she hadn't quite gotten the concept back when her son's teacher was going over it. Not only did I remember how to do it, I could explain why the formula worked. Thanks to Mrs. Woeckener, I have Gained Conceptual Knowledge!)

Mrs. Woeckener answered emails instantly, telling me exactly when tests would be given & what would be on them.

Last but not least, she kept an eye out for Christopher when he joined her class mid-year. It's rare for a child in this district to move up a level in the middle of the year. The district is looking to cut children from the Phase 4 class, not add. Christopher was the only child who made the jump (as far as I know) and I've already mentioned more than once that, going into the fall, he wasn't the kid anyone would have pegged to be 'the one.'

He had to come from behind.

Not long after Christopher had moved to Phase 4, Mrs. Woeckener sought me out on a field trip and introduced herself. She told me she was keeping track of Christopher, that he was doing fine, and that she'd get hold of me right away if she had concerns.

She also gave me the feeling that her plan was to see to it there wouldn't be any concerns.

And that's exactly the way things worked out.

Christopher was a lucky boy to have Mrs. Woeckener as his math teacher this year.


ILikeMath

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• Posted by: CatherineJohnson
• LogDate: Jun 05, 2005 @ 15:34

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