Aubree, commenting on our first class together

Wow, did we enjoy our first math meeting today. Since this was our first class, we spent a bit of time on logistics such as:

1. Making sure our pencils were sharpened BEFORE we left the fourth grade classroom because Tammy burned up the motor in the electric pencil sharpener in the office this morning.
2. Going to the restroom before class, which involved a bit more of a trip than usual because of the construction.
3. Assembling in the kitchen because the auditorium was really chilly.
4. Writing our names in our new, cool, green notebooks that will contain the information - plus more - that will guide our time together. In combination with this blog, the students will have a lot to think about!
5. Learning that our number system is a base ten, and that the reason is probably because we have ten fingers, which of course makes us wonder what our number system would be like if we had more (or less) fingers.
6. Beginning an introductory discussion of exponential numbers and trying to figure out the largest number we could write using only three digits. (Think you know what it is? Ask your child and see if he/she remembers!)

Considering that by the time we settled in and began discussing math we only had about twenty minutes together, we covered quite a bit. The best part is that we’ve only just begun! As we get to know each other better and get more in-depth in our topics, we’ll find more and more ways to explore the wonder of mathematics. My goals are to keep that excitement alive and keep those students thinking!