THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED!

All of my 365 t-shirts from 2010

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

T-shirt #55: F.O.I.L., Keepin' Algebra Fresh

This one I got online a while ago (http://www.shamplade.com/store_ver02/foil.html) and would wear a lot when I was teaching math.

The funny thing is, I was sick the week in 8th grade algebra that the F.O.I.L. method was taught. I was not able to catch up before the semester was over, and I got my first D ever on a report card. After sacrificing precious after school time (watching hair metal videos and intramural floor hockey games), Mr. Passler was able to help me get back on track. I got an A+ the last quarter. I wonder what he would think of me actually teaching this stuff AND wearing this shirt as I did.

Years later, as a special ed math teacher, I wore this shirt into work one day. Although I thought as usual it would amuse the students, I forgot that for some of them it was an MCAS testing day…woops! I’m not sure if there are official rules for what test administrators can wear, but I don’t think the fate of the students passing or failing was determined by my F.O.I.L. shirt.

If you are “Feeling Like a Nerd” (which is the hilarious interpretation my younger sister had of Bon Jovi’s “In and Out of Love”…sorry Meg!), here are some algebra puzzle sights:

http://www.mathplayground.com/algebra_puzzle.html

http://mathforum.org/algebra/alg.puzzles.html

http://www.mathsisfun.com/puzzles/algebra-puzzles-index.html

2 comments:

  1. First off, just staring at that shirt made me start to twitch. I dont think I ever learned FOIL and I trying to learn it at age 30 was giving me a headache. Secondly, I did NOT know that is what I thought those lyrics were!!! HAHAHA. The only one I remember is "we're not gonna take it"

    ReplyDelete
  2. I, on the other hand, LOVED algebra and FOILING!! And I got to do it again six years ago for college - yeah!
    Meg: you also faithfully sang "talk dirty to me" as "top dead to me." Hahaha! I know there were more, too...

    ReplyDelete