#MTBoS30: Senior Gifts

This is my first year teaching seniors. When only three math classes are required, very few students choose to take math on their own as seniors. Until this year, those that did took an online course with a proctor.

Last year was the last straw. Students were failing, getting locked out of tests, going long periods of time without being able to log in, etc. It got to the point that some were allowed to transfer out of the class.

So last year, when I thought I had taught everything there was to teach and that I would have no new preps- they made up a new one just for me.

I called it Algebra III and basically reviewed Algebra II stuff and taught Algebra II stuff that I didn't get to. Originally I planned to go further into trig but then I ended up with some seniors who had taken trig and some who didn't.

All that to say that today was our last day together as a class and I've taught all of them for the past four years. We planned to have food and a little party and so my gift-giving obsession began to take over.

I did my two nice things gift from last year.

Then, because I only have a few seniors, I made senior gift bags along with a letter.

All of the things in the letter were included in the bags. And if you aren't aware of ipsy, they send you 5 monthly samples of beauty products for $10 and so I kept all the bags for this exact purpose. I had leftover tablecloths so I tried to make it look extra fancy.

We had an even better selection of food than what you can see: pizza, buffalo chicken dip, salsa and chips, cookies, brownie cookie bars, cookies, and homemade cheesecake with cherries.

We talked about all the funny memories from the past four years and I ended the period with my class awards that are personalized for each student. I read them out loud and they guess who it describes before I read the name.

I did the best that I could with all that I had.

Good-bye and good luck class of 2016...