Hey teachers! Which topic excites you to teach?

When I think about things I find interesting in math, I keep circling back to 1. In some ways, it’s the simplest number—just one thing. And yet, 1 wears so many disguises. The invisible 1 trips students up all the time: in 3x + x, in x^1, in coefficients that are “there but not written.” When we simplify fractions, rationalize denominators, or even dividing by a complex number, we handle the problem by multiplying by one—just not the obvious one. We choose a form of 1 that changes everything while changing nothing I’m curious—what’s a concept like this for you? Something small or “obvious” that turns out to be doing a ton of hidden work in math?

Am I the only one that is a little bothered by inconsistent functions? When I click a button on the vending machine, one output is expected. There may be two inputs to get that Coca-cola…. But if I click the Coke button, that’s the only output I expect. So what’s happening with Samoas, folks? Depending on the bakery they use, I may get a Samoa, or I might get a Caramel Delite. That, my friends is NOT a function! Anyone else bothered by completely unimportant math-related minutia? Just me?

Georgia’s getting cold again this weekend. I don’t know about you, but seasonal blues have hit me hard this year. Share pics of your favorite flowers and spring-inspired things?

Yesterday, while grading an online student’s test, I found his “answer” was a screenshot of AI explaining how to solve the problem. My issue isn’t that he used a tool. It was his execution. Academic dishonesty was addressed and passed up the administrative chain. That part is procedural. But the real issue? If a pipe under my sink cracks, I might ask Chat what to do. Printing the instructions doesn’t stop the leak. Today, we’re revisiting the steps AI gave him. And we’re actually carrying them out. We’re going to do the math. AI is powerful. It’s also fallible. And while it can “think” for you, the doing still relies on the person. So we’re going to talk about how to use a tool to support thinking — not outsource it. Where have you seen AI outsourcing in action?