Ted is currently in my PreCalculus 12 class. This is an impressive achievement in itself, seeing as he was in my Foundations 11 class last year. There is no moving (directly) from Foundations 11 to PreCalculus 12 so Ted decided that he would have to take PreCalculus 11 at Summer school last July. His mom recently told me a funny story where Ted signed up for his class and was all geared up for 4 weeks of school, starting at 10am (or something like that) each day. Doesn't sound too bad, right? Well, not until the Monday morning (two weeks before he thought he was starting) at 9:00 in the morning, when Ted received a phone call informing him that he was late for the first class!!
Turns out that the course was actually SIX weeks long and started at 8:30 (!!!) every morning. Yikes! Plus, this put an end to some of Ted's Summer plans with his family. You could forgive Ted if - at this point - he said "forget it" and just dropped out. But he did not, Instead he buckled down, put in the requisite time and effort, and passed PreCalculus 11. Well done, Ted! Happy that you are now in PreCalculus 12!
For the most part Ted is a fairly quiet and unassuming guy. He doesn't draw a lot of attention to himself and he always looks (at best) vaguely interested in what I am teaching. However, my favourite thing about Ted is when someone is telling a funny story. He perks right up in his seat. His eyes are bright. A little sly smile covers his face. He seldom laughs out loud (though it DOES happen from time to time) but you can tell when he has enjoyed a funny joke or story.
This is a guy who obviously has a good sense of humour. And it's no wonder: both his Mom and (awesome former student, Rachel) sister have similar traits. In fact, I can't help but wonder what a fun place the Watson house must be to hang out at. These are all smart, engaging, and very funny people. A nice family, indeed.
It's been great teaching you the past three years, Ted. Congratulations, again, on how far you have come in Math at KG. I know that it has not always been easy and I admire your perseverance during the tough(er) times. Thanks for always being such a friendly and polite student. All the best!