Friday, September 23, 2011

Say What?

In Pre-Algebra we were talking about translating word problems from English to math, coming up with a list of words that translate into the different mathematical symbols.  For the symbol for multiply we came up with all the usual ones and I finally prompted them to come up with double, triple and twice.  A student offered the word thrice, which I put on the list but explained that it was a word we rarely used in American English.

About twenty minutes later a student was turned around talking to the kid behind him and I asked him “Are you goofing around or just having a spazz attack?”

His answer was immediate; “Spazz attack. I have them thrice daily.”

Then at the beginning of seventh period another student walks into class and he says to me

“That assignment was so hard, I think I cried a little.”