You see, we've been working on linear functions. Lately, we've been graphing points and determining the equation of the line. Since my students draw like I do, it is usually best to use a ruler to connect the points. This lets us see EXACTLY where the line crosses the y-axis.
Monday, I asked students to get a ruler right when they walked in my classroom. I didn't want to waste valuable class time getting up from our seats to retrieve rulers. However, they could not put their rulers down during bellwork and a slope music video.
One of the rulers in my box is a folding yardstick. My kids are AMAZED by this thing! One of my students impressed herself and the rest of the class (and me!) by making the yardstick resemble the journey of Slope Dude.
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| Slope Dude - Ruler Style |
It ended up leading to a great conversation between two students because the part of the ruler that represents a positive slope looks like it represents a negative slope if looked at from the opposite side of the ruler. It depends on which side of the ruler you are facing, and some of my students failed to realize this.
I spent so much of my day saying things like:
Stop hitting each other with your rulers.
Please put your ruler down while we watch this video.
Your hands should not be touching your ruler.
Please stop balancing your ruler on your nose.
Look guys, I know I specifically said that your hands should not be touching your ruler. But, that does not mean it is okay for you to touch your hands to your pencil and then use your pencil to play with your ruler.
Some days, it seriously seems like I am teaching first grade
Then, one of my students lost his ruler. We had just finished watching our song over slope when one of my students announced that he couldn't find his ruler. How does one even go about losing a ruler while sitting at their desk?!?
Other students quickly chimed in with advice for finding the missing ruler. Did you put it in your backpack? Is it in your notebook? Did it fall on the floor? Did you throw it behind the radiator? Did you put the ruler down your pants? (I promise. I can't make this stuff up. It was Pajama Day, but I don't know if that makes it any better or even worse. What's even more alarming is that my student ran his hands up and down his legs to see if the ruler was in his pants.)
Finally, the ruler was found! Hallelujah! "Where was it?", you ask. Well, he had found a way to wedge the ruler between the bottom of his desk and the pipes that are attached to the legs of the desk. Then, he had forgotten about putting his ruler there.
I present to you: the missing ruler. This missing ruler was such an ordeal that I insisted on taking a picture of it before moving on with class.
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| The Case Of The Missing Ruler |
Lesson learned. Maybe I should pass out the rulers right before students need them. This will help avoid wasting class time AND maybe save my sanity! :)