Math Team Nationals 2013

So, I'm kind of irked right now. Today was a long day and after I learned from a co-worker that I don't have to be at the orientation until 10:30 tomorrow morning, I was set up for a good night's rest. Then at room checks, I had a student tell me he was taking the SAT tomorrow and would need to have someone sign him out when he leaves at 7... With that said, tonight's entry will probably be pretty short so I can collapse into bed before too long.

(In the student's defense, this wasn't a spur of the moment occurrence, but it didn't connect that I would be the one doing it after Math Team Nationals and before a Summer Orientation. You may suggest to just go back to bed, but that would not be a smart idea, knowing me. Also, I am SO thankful that the student arranged his own transportation to and from Kansas City.)

Anyway, change the subject now.

TC

Today was the Math Team National competition and I was pleasantly surprised with how my students did. I only brought two guys (one 11th grader and one 12th grade) and they were both recognized for being in the top ten for their grade on the individual level. I'm sure there aren't many schools that can say that every one of their students got a trophy today, so that's what I'm taking home. :-) Plus, my senior had the highest individual ranking out of all the seniors in Missouri. (The only people who had higher rankings are from Iowa or California. Say what you will about Iowa, but Iowa City has a powerhouse of a high school math program.)

During the competition, I was in the grading room, specifically on the Power Question. The Power Question is only used at the state and national level and it's proof-based so the students have to actually explain their answers rather than simply guess numbers. The grading is much more intensive, but I did take it as a sign that the national coordinators thought I was equipped to grade those questions. The concept was pretty interesting and even though the other judges and I were wading through answers that were meaningless/confusing/just plain wrong, there were some students that really thought outside the box and came up with examples that none of the test writers had anticipated.

Another cool thing that I learned about was that Tim (the main guy who manages the whole organization, but focuses on California during the year) has been making the grading process more automatic and electronic. For a few of the events, the students' answer sheets were scanned and then anyone with a smartphone could access the answers without any identifying information and help with the grading. It sounds like Tim has definitely put some thought into the process (for example, having a system in place to prevent a misclick from automatically denoting someone as getting a wrong answer when they got it right), although this was the first I was hearing about this system. I checked the main website and apparently it's been put to use at local contests earlier in the year.

Since I only brought two students, we didn't bring home any team trophies, which is okay with me. The grading system is designed for teams of 6 or more (each event will look at the 6 best student performances for that event), but we did end up getting 10th out of 24 or 25. It was only one spot away from getting one of the smaller trophies, but I was more impressed on the fact that my guys did so well. On the drive back home, we stopped by St Joe for some victory ice cream.

Oh, and a thought that's crossed my mind a couple times now is that today was the last competitive out-of-town trip for the Academy this year. Every other club is done competing and the only other out-of-town travel that I know of is the St Joseph community service trip tomorrow and then the senior trip to the campgrounds east of town next weekend. It's a completely random detail, but it felt like it had some significance with me, since I've done a lot of the competition travel in recent years. 

TC

So, I actually did something deliberately for a holiday. Now, it is Bike to Work Week and Day, but I feel like me biking to work would involve scooting a bike around my apartment (or sleeping with it in my bed, since this morning was a "work starts when you hear your alarm at 6:30am" day)... so that didn't happen. It was National Pizza Party Day, and since we had a late lunch at the math competition, I ordered a couple of pizzas for dinner later this evening and shared it with some of the guys. I still have some chicken and spinach left, so yay for leftovers.

TC

As I said before, I should keep this short. I'm glad that I don't have to drive anywhere far (possibly none at all), but I know tomorrow will be another long day. Then again, I am off after the orientation, so I'll have the evening for some me time. Have a great start to the weekend. DFTBA.