My Best Day in Education

In my six years of teaching, I've had many good and bad days in the classroom. So many good days that it was difficult picking out my "best" day. I think this one tops the others... for now at least.

On June 2nd, 2017, I packed all my classroom belongings in Texas for one of the biggest moves of my life. On August 8th, I unpacked my belongings at my new school in California. To say that I wasn't nervous about starting a new school, in a new state where I knew absolutely no one, would be a lie. In addition, I had to prepare material for a course I've never taught, Pre-Calculus. Seriously, no pressure right?

The first few weeks were definitely an adjustment period. Everything seemed to be going well, but I didn't feel the connection with my students as I had at my previous school. I thought my students weren't into my course and found math to be boring and just another class they had to take in order to graduate. That all changed the day I assigned the Unit Circle Art Project.

The project was meant to be an easy and creative way for students to write the unit circle in order to help with the memorization of values. When I first assigned it, I got a variety of looks - the eye roll of just yet another project, the excitement of those who loved to express themselves in artistic mediums, and some indifferent to the assignment. I wondered to myself if I had made the mistake of assigning something meaningless; something that they believed was just another hoop they had to jump through.

Little did I know, that every project submitted showcased their engagement in my course despite the looks and my initial feelings of connection. They truly did care about my class! The day they brought in their projects, to this day, is the best day I've had in the classroom. Knowing that my students worked so hard on this small project (and actually enjoyed it) is truly the best feeling in the world. The intricacy and attention to detail they had is beyond what I had expected. Check out this video of a unit circle fidget spinner that my student made on his own!

Since that day, my classroom had a different dynamic; I could feel that connection that was missing. They cared about the course as much as I did, and it wasn't just to get by for the credit. That day has truly made a lasting impression on me as a teacher, and reminded me why I enjoy teaching high school math.

-Bianca GT