Two Cubed Times Three: How A Math Instructor Celebrates Her Birthday

Monday, I was blessed amongst the chance to produce a rare thing: celebrate my birthday on a schoolhouse day! My birthday almost ever falls on Thanksgiving Break or the weekend. So, I tin count on i mitt the release of times that I've been able to celebrate at school. This was my start birthday celebration at schoolhouse as a teacher, as well as I was pretty excited.

I had been talking upwards my birthday for weeks. Well, I approximate it was genuinely to a greater extent than of a lament. I lamented the fact that my historic menstruation was no longer going to live on a prime number. In fact, I was going to accept to pass the side past times side 1,826 days as a prime number. There were 2 typical responses. Response 1: What is a prime number? This answer was rapidly followed past times an "I'm then glad you lot asked!" as well as a brusk math lesson. Alternately, Response 2: You dear math means besides much. To this, I merely smiled. It's true. I produce dear math. And, I'm glad my students tin come across my passion for the discipline through my words as well as actions.

The celebration started a trivial early the Fri earlier my birthday. I flora sweetness messages similar this i written on my dry out erase board.

A sweetness birthday wish...

On the morn of my birthday, I changed the appointment as well as vacation to agree the occasion.

My Mathematical Birthday Celebration

I was rapidly informed that my monthly celebration was a tad besides restrictive. Apparently, other people are born inward November, too. After going to the teacher's lounge to brand roughly copies for the day, I returned to discovery a lovely birthday surprise.

Birthday Cake!

H5N1 birthday cake! The giver was then sweetness as well as apologetic: "I got you lot a birthday cake! They left off the Miss as well as misspelled your name. I'm then sorry, but I got you lot a cake!"

Here's a pic of me as well as my beautiful, thoughtful cake.

A educatee brought me a birthday cake!

See the birthday hat? I bought it myself. :) I went into Family Dollar on Dominicus night, as well as I bought iii bags of candy as well as a birthday hat. The cashier asked, "Are you lot going to a political party tonight?" I merely smiled as well as said, "Not quite." The candy was for my students to consume on my birthday. The birthday chapeau was for me to vesture on my birthday. I've stopped fifty-fifty trying to explicate my random purchases to cashiers. I've decided that weird looks from cashiers are merely a business office of beingness a teacher.

Soon, I was greeted past times 2 to a greater extent than students bearing roughly other birthday cake! My students certain know how to brand somebody experience special!

Homemade Birthday Cake - Complete amongst a Math Problem for My Age

See the math occupation that equals my age? I accept trained my students well! :) And, the ornament to a higher house the tidings "Happy" is a release line. We've been graphing i variable inequalities, then this was peculiarly fitting. (Though, I didn't realize it was a release line. I idea it was i of those markings that you lot would discovery on a football. Of course, it wouldn't brand whatever feel to set that on MY cake. I didn't figure out it was a release occupation until the daughter who drew it was bragging well-nigh the awesome release occupation she had drawn on my cake to her friends. Oh, that's what that was. There weren't whatever numbers on it, then I couldn't tell. The longer dash inward the middle of the release occupation was supposed to give it away. Oops...)

The 2d birthday cake also came amongst a menu as well as a "Birthday Girl" ribbon. I was pretty excited well-nigh this!

My Birthday Girl Ribbon - I was then proud of this!

A Happy Birthday Card

Of course, the best means to celebrate your birthday is mathematically themed birthday bellwork. My Algebra 1 students accept been working on chemical compound inequalities. So, they flora this occupation when they entered my classroom: Someone who doesn't know Ms. Hagan good plenty to know that today is her 24th birthday guesses that she is less than xxx as well as greater than or equal to 22. Write this contention as a unmarried inequality, if possible. Is it an "and" inequality or an "or" inequality? Then, graph this inequality on a release line.

Algebra 1 - Birthday Bellwork - Compound Inequalities

This occupation ended upwards leading to roughly slap-up discussion! Half the class was convinced it was an "or" inequality, as well as the other one-half was as convinced it was an "and" inequality. It was fun to come across them realize that both "and" as well as "or" could live on flora inward the problem. I dear using the highlighters on the Smart Board to graph the intersection of 2 inequalities.

We spent the residue of the hr reviewing inequalities for our exam the side past times side day. One of my students decided to brand fun of my birthday hat. "Are you lot sixteen? Because that's what 16 yr olds vesture on their birthday." I'm pretty proud of my response. "Well, the packet said "Ages iii as well as Up" when I bought it. Why don't nosotros practise writing this as an inequality?"

Inequalities to the Rescue!

And, merely then you lot know, my historic menstruation is inward the solution ready for this inequality!

My Algebra 2 students accept been working amongst radicals. We've been using the birthday cake method to discovery the prime factorization of the radicand. So, their bellwork was to discovery the prime factorization of my age. I told them at that topographic point would live on a competitor for the most beautiful birthday cake. My 2d menstruation Algebra 2 class took this competitor real seriously. My 5th menstruation Algebra 2 class couldn't accept cared less.

Algebra 2 Birthday Bellwork - Prime Factorization

Here are pictures of roughly of my favorite birthday cakes:

Prime Factorization Birthday Cake

One educatee didn't precisely follow the instructions. They merely drew me a birthday cake without the prime factorization. I asked, "Where did the x squared come upwards from? That isn't a prime factorization." "Oh, I merely idea you lot wanted us to depict you lot a cake. I decided your cake should live on decorated amongst something mathematical." I approximate that works, too.

Another Birthday Cake

One of my eighth graders surprised me amongst a birthday cupcake!

A Birthday Cupcake

Me as well as My Birthday Cupcake!

All inward all, it was a fabulous day. We had fun. We ate cake. We did math. We did lots of math.

And, I can't forget to write well-nigh my birthday presents from my family! They were appropriately themed. I received an infinity necklace, an infinity scarf, as well as roughly awesome math games! (There were non-mathy things, too.) I'm then excited to endeavor these out!

Mathematical Birthday Gifts