AP Calculus

For the last official day of AP Calculus class, I told the entire class that they would be taking a test. At first they panicked. But then I told them that it was open book and open notes and that they could confer with their colleagues. I also told them that no math would be required for this test, as it was an essay test. As a teacher, I really wanted to know what drove them to take one of the most challenging classes offered at our school, how they got through it, what they got out of it, and what advice they would give me for the future. I expected their answers to be good, because their work always is. I didn't expect to have eyes full of tears the entire time I graded the tests. These kids are so loving, so kind, so intelligent, and so insightful. Through the grace of God, they learned so much more than what I taught them, and so much more than I even realized they had learned. I'll probably hand their tests back to them tomorrow, so I'm typing some excerpts here today for me to remember in the future - to laugh at and to cry at. And also for you to read and be amused by.

Question 1. Using the space provided below, write at least 3 paragraphs outlining why you chose to take AP Calculus, what you have learned from this class, how it will benefit you in the future, and why you would recommend this class to underclassmen.

"One thing I learned from this class was to do things on time. Last minute work never (well, sometimes) does not come out in fine quality."

"This class is something that is worth it. It is a class that one's effort will never betray. If they pour in effort, they will surely have great results."

"From this class, I learned to work together."

"I would definitely recommend underclassmen to take this class! I want everyone to suffer!!!"

"I felt like in my senior year, this class was the most beneficial and educating class."

"My math class historically challenged me the most out of all my classes, which is good, because I need to be challenged or I will get bored and/or depressed. So I chose to take calc because I knew it would challenge me this year."

"Calc will benefit my future because I want to be a nuclear engineer."

"Calculus is definitely interesting and made me understand life better. Calculus is good. It is related to everything in life, and it will teach you life lessons."

"Calculus has expanded my knowledge and shifted my perspective a little bit on a few things."

"I have found out the true meaning of being 'good at math': it is the ability to read a question and figure out which method to use to find the answer. I thought math was all about doing the work, but no, math is about knowing what work to do."

"I used to like math because I thought it didn't require creativity but only demanded good memorization. But now I know that math does want me to think creatively to find the solution, and I am so very thankful for helping me realize that I do have a tiny bit of creativity inside as well."

"I am actually planning to have a minor in secondary math education and teach math when I get older."

"I would definitely recommend taking this class to underclassmen, because it is such a fun experience where one can bond with the subject, math."

"Personally for me, AP Calculus has been, and will be, the BEST class I will have ever taken in all six years of my high school."

"I chose to take AP Calculus because I saw people suffering because of this class last year, so I wanted to test myself if I can handle the class or not. But overall, I chose this class because you were the teacher."

"Prior to taking calculus I simply took math classes for credit. AP Calculus has changed that attitude completely."

Question 2. Explain the three most interesting things you learned in AP Calculus and why they interested you.

"L'Hopital's Law was the best thing I learned in AP Calculus class. I even researched it online."

"One other thing that was interesting was the infinity related things such as L'Hopital's Rule. Infinity seemed to break so many common ideas/concepts that it was both mind blowing and fun."

"The cool shapes we could graph on the graphing calculator were just fun. It shows that math does not only solve problems, but also makes art."

"Learning that infinity is not a number, but more of a destination. It makes me feel so dumb when trying to comprehend, but I got to understand it a little more this year, so I felt a little better about myself."

"AP Calculus was always exciting because we got to learn new things that weren't really new but derived from basic knowledge. It was just all fascinating to learn."

Question 3. Explain how you believe math and God are related.

"I don't know if I am right or wrong, but I personally believe that math holds the universe. Is that weird? I don't know. God has taught me many things through math and has often given me His replies when I was doing math. It's a fascinating tool t hat God uses for explanation of everything and communicating with us. I don't know if this is right or wrong, but I can't stop believing that math holds the universal truth and God is in it."

"So this is a bit complicated, but the bottom line is God and numbers are both timeless, space-less, and immaterial. And just like all things that God created, I think He created numbers to show His glory and awe-inspiring greatness."

"Humans create buildings by designing and by applying calculus. In the same way, God created this world with His unfathomable calculus equations. God showed His perfection by creating this world and us and we try to make perfect buildings, products of math."

"In some ways, I think that math started from God because we try to understand life with math."

"Math is the reflection of God's nature. He is orderly and precise, creates everything perfect and understandable, yet at the same time He does things we have no idea how to understand, much less explain."

"It all points back to a Creator who created math and ways for us to discover more about Him through it."

"Of course, God has the power to ignore science and math, such as when Jesus fed 5000, but in most cases, things aren't miracles. He made it so that things were systematic and logical, and math is one thing that shows His accuracy."

"It is amazing how math is so complicated but has no errors."

Question 4. What is something I should know for next year's AP Calculus class?

"My class is going to hesitate on whether or not they should take AP Cal or not. Please encourage them to take the class and to challenge themselves." - Written by one of only two juniors (from a relatively un-academic class) taking AP Calculus this year (it's typically for seniors only)

"Students appreciate you most of the time. I've never heard bad things about you. You do not show favoritism at all and other students appreciate it. Keep that up. You are always the best teacher. I am glad that you were my high school math teacher."

"I hope that whenever you're about to yell at someone, that you take a second to breathe and make sure that it's the constructive thing to do. And if it is, then yell away."

"I think I would've enjoyed more challenging questions to stimulate my brain."

"It would be great to bring more of the Bible into math. To incorporate God into math would be very beneficial to students next year because this would show them that God is truly everywhere. To hear about the relationship of God in all the subjects in this school would build up everyone's faith, especially when they head off to college the next year."

"Be patient with them and please don't stress out yourself."

"I'm worried for the next generation, and it's my prayer that when I leave that all the classes would become havens for discussions of God. That includes calculus. Just remind the next class about the genius of God, demonstrated through mathematics, especially calculus."

"I really loved your class! I love you and I will miss you a lot! <3 p="">