A Conversation That Made My Day

Student #1: Look, Mr. Orlin, we all signed this petition! Me: “We, the undersigned, would like to have Calculus all day, every day.” Hey, I’m glad you guys are enjoying the class. Student #2: Can you change the schedule? Me: Well, logistics aside, you guys only got two signatures on this. Student #1: What are … Continue reading A Conversation That Made My Day →

Learning is a Fluorescent Light

I know this new concept feels hard. But you know what it’s like turning on a fluorescent light? It flickers on, then goes dark, then goes bright for an instant, then goes dark again…

Explain It To Me

A nearly-verbatim dialogue, in honor of one of the hardest-working students I've ever taught. Student: Can you explain this problem to me? Me: Sure, the idea is… Wait. You got it right. Student: But I don’t feel like I did. I feel like I guessed. Me: Well, explain how you got your answer. (He proceeds … Continue reading Explain It To Me →

Following Recipes

Another pep talk with the class, another metaphor hijacked. This is a theme in my life.

The Graph Factory

I want my students to see graphing as a subtle, meaningful craft. But when I mess up and assign too many graphs for homework, they just sprint through them, cranking them out like cheap factory products. It goes something like this…

The Anxieties of Hermit Crabs

With the Trigonometry class struggling, I attempt a pep talk. As usual, the students swiftly grasp my metaphor - and then hijack it. Me: You've seen hermit crabs, right? They move from shell to shell throughout their lives. And it's scary for them to leave their warm, safe shells behind. It makes them feel anxious … Continue reading The Anxieties of Hermit Crabs →