I held it together for most the period with the fifth graders today. And then the last 4 minutes happened. When I started to say the few things I wanted to say to them before they left my class (gulp, forever), I started to cry. Words could not describe how special this group of students are to me, in part because I have had them for two years. I remember the first day with them two years ago. We sat in the hallway between their classrooms, played a game to teach them that math did not always have a clear-cut answer. They were young 4th graders at the time. To think of how much they have grown not only in math but overall as young adults is incredible. This class kept me on my toes and helped me grow as an educator. We had rich discussions, questioned one another and questioned ourselves and we took our math out into the real world. We designed, created, built, tested, proved. We took our math and our learning very seriously. But that did not stop us from having loads of fun. My favorite moments in this class was hooking them from the beginning with our mission and task for the day. Once I introduced it to them, I would see the smiles and hear chuckles as they excitedly awaited starting. This energy, joy and love of learning started from that very first day to our very last day together. Just yesterday, I started math class with diapers on each desk and asked my students what they thought we would be doing today. They sure didn't know but they were surely interested. In honor of Father's Day, we were doing a cost analysis of cloth vs. disposable diapers. "What does it cost to supply a new baby with diapers? Do you know how much it cost for your parents to take care of you?" Laughs all over the room. Getting them to be interested and be excited about math is my favorite part. In one short year, we have: designed a prototype, gauge potential customer interest, analyzed projected profits, predicted wildlife population using Goldfish and ratios and proportions, scaled models, presented on "Shark Tank," asked, tested and designed our own statistical questions, analyzed the nutritional value in fast food, measured the dangers of texting and driving, and used mathematics to see how unrealistic Barbies truly are (new, see pictures below). It's all in a year's work, and what an amazing year it has been. Families, thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting in me to teach your child. I am excited when I think of their growth and I am eager to see them continue to grow throughout their years here at Riverdale. Although I will not be your child's math teacher next year, I still hold them dear to my heart as I hold all of you. Thank you for your unwavering support, your trust and your enthusiasm. I encourage you (and your child) to reach out should you have any questions or need support in any way. Have a wonderful summer, and thank you again for everything this year. I will miss you and your child dearly! Truly, Vi Tamargo The latest math room adventures
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