Student's test in pre-calculus

[DrPizza]

Had a test Thursday in pre-calculus: systems of equations (at least 3 variables and 3 unknowns) and partial fraction decomposition.

I recall saying in class, "Usually, people simply go in alphabetical order when choosing variables. But, it really doesn't matter what letters you use (getting them ready for matrices when we drop the variables altogether), you can use Greek letters for all I care.

As I corrected one of the tests, I kept thinking "wow, pretty original... he decided to use all Greek letters for his variables. He sucks at Greek letters though." Still, he scored a high 90 on the exam. When I returned the exam to him, he commented, "did you like the Klingon letters?" He had a handout ready for me, just in case, of the entire Klingon alphabet.

 

[Accipiter22]

hahahhaha I would imagine a doctor of pizza would know klingon.

 

[JDrake]

You're a teacher?

 

[hypn0tik]

Hahaha. Nice. I once used symbols (boxes, triangles etc...) on a Grade 12 math test.

 

[Mo0o]

You should have beat him up and took his lunch money at that point

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: joedrake
You're a teacher?

Yes.
Math and Physics.


Another student wrote a note partway through the test to explain why his letters weren't in alphabetical order... "It's weird. I don't know the alphabet without singing the stupid song. To remember what comes after K, I have to start at A and sing to myself. Since it really doesn't matter, I just chose letters at random, instead of repeatedly singing the song."

I love running into notes like that while correcting the tests. It's nice to have students who don't need to follow an exact set of instructions in order to answer a question... They're a lot more innovative in their solutions.

 

[dquan97]

pic of his test?

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: dquan97
pic of his test?

If I remember, I'll take the camera to school tomorrow and see if I can get a picture of it. I corrected them that night and handed them back the next day (Friday)

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

:thumbsup:

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Had a test Thursday in pre-calculus: systems of equations (at least 3 variables and 3 unknowns) and partial fraction decomposition.

I recall saying in class, "Usually, people simply go in alphabetical order when choosing variables. But, it really doesn't matter what letters you use (getting them ready for matrices when we drop the variables altogether), you can use Greek letters for all I care.

As I corrected one of the tests, I kept thinking "wow, pretty original... he decided to use all Greek letters for his variables. He sucks at Greek letters though." Still, he scored a high 90 on the exam. When I returned the exam to him, he commented, "did you like the Klingon letters?" He had a handout ready for me, just in case, of the entire Klingon alphabet.

Did you pimp slap him and hand him a stack of porno mags to help him regain his man card? 😛

 

[sciwizam]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: dquan97
pic of his test?

If I remember, I'll take the camera to school tomorrow and see if I can get a picture of it. I corrected them that night and handed them back the next day (Friday)

You better deliver!

 

[Lonyo]

Can you not just repeat letters?
a, b, c and x, y, z is all you need.
Maybe the occasional lambda/mu, but nothing more.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: dquan97
pic of his test?

If I remember, I'll take the camera to school tomorrow and see if I can get a picture of it. I corrected them that night and handed them back the next day (Friday)

Next day service on tests? :thumbsup:

I had an argumentative writing teacher in 9th or 10th grade that didn't finish grading all of our papers until halfway through the summer, I remember getting an adendum to my report card heh.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: DaiShan

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: dquan97
pic of his test?

If I remember, I'll take the camera to school tomorrow and see if I can get a picture of it. I corrected them that night and handed them back the next day (Friday)

Next day service on tests? :thumbsup:

I had an argumentative writing teacher in 9th or 10th grade that didn't finish grading all of our papers until halfway through the summer, I remember getting an adendum to my report card heh.

Some are just like that. It seems to vary with the school. The first college I went to required all grades to be in (and therefore reportcards ready) within 72 hours of the end of the term. My current college is about three to four weeks to get them posted.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
Can you not just repeat letters?
a, b, c and x, y, z is all you need.
Maybe the occasional lambda/mu, but nothing more.

I had students setting up the form of the equation for the partial fraction decomposition. One of the problems used all the letters from A to J (if you used them in alphabetical order) 10 variables in one problem (which I didn't make them solve, just set up)

 

[Cooler]

your lucky i know some people that use much more crazy symols for varbles.
And for programing i had friend who would you cuss word for all his varble names or slang.

It was really funny to read the code .

 

[her209]

Nerd alert!

 

[dopcombo]

whatever happened to a1, a2, a3, b1, b2, b3? 🙂

 

[imported_Tick]

Originally posted by: dopcombo
whatever happened to a1, a2, a3, b1, b2, b3? 🙂

 

[DrPizza]

I always feel horribly guilty when they don't get their tests back right away. Although, sometimes, I just show them their test and grade, but hang onto them until a couple of people who were sick make up the exam. Unfortunately, when this happens, the tests occasionally get buried and I forget to hand them back to them.

 

[imported_Tick]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
I always feel horribly guilty when they don't get their tests back right away. Although, sometimes, I just show them their test and grade, but hang onto them until a couple of people who were sick make up the exam. Unfortunately, when this happens, the tests occasionally get buried and I forget to hand them back to them.

You feel guilty?.... You haven't been teaching long have you?