Pre - Calculus is really a set of two distinct courses: Math 111, taught based on Western Oregon University's College Algebra course, and Trigonometry, a high school course that typically serves as a bit of a relaxation after the blitzkrieg that is semester 1. College credit is offered for Math 111, but it's important to recognize that the bar is very high for this credit. Only their first attempt counts on any test question, and they must pass at least 80% of the questions given. The high school credit is offered separately, and reassessments are allowed as often as requested. This is my fourth year teaching Math 111, and I do not take it lightly - it is by far the hardest course I've taught thus far in my career, but it is in my opinion one of the most rewarding. The work load isn't necessarily incredibly heavy, but the sheer mental growth is immense. Students who are accustomed to coasting through and earning easy A's often find themselves in the midst of a rude awakening after our first exam, and may find that they will need to study (sometimes for the first time) for future assessments in order to be prepared.
The reality is that every student hits a point in their academic career when they are legitimately challenged for the first time. For me it was semester two of real analysis during my senior year at Montana State, and it was the proudest C of my life at the end of the course. For many of the students in this course, this will be that point. It is a turning point for them, a point at which they have to make a profound decision in regards to personal determination and how hard they're actually willing to push themselves. Personally, I'd rather they hit that point in a setting where they have the support and don't have quite as much of a financial investment at stake as they might a few years later. My number one goal in this class is to challenge these students like never before, but also to support them when they hit their first walls. Defeat can be crushing for students accustomed to easy successes, but it's imperative that they learn how to rise up and push right back and I refuse to allow them to give up. I'm available every day after school, I've hosted Saturday work days and 7 am sessions, and my singular promise to them is that I'll work exactly as hard as they do to get the job done.
The reality is that every student hits a point in their academic career when they are legitimately challenged for the first time. For me it was semester two of real analysis during my senior year at Montana State, and it was the proudest C of my life at the end of the course. For many of the students in this course, this will be that point. It is a turning point for them, a point at which they have to make a profound decision in regards to personal determination and how hard they're actually willing to push themselves. Personally, I'd rather they hit that point in a setting where they have the support and don't have quite as much of a financial investment at stake as they might a few years later. My number one goal in this class is to challenge these students like never before, but also to support them when they hit their first walls. Defeat can be crushing for students accustomed to easy successes, but it's imperative that they learn how to rise up and push right back and I refuse to allow them to give up. I'm available every day after school, I've hosted Saturday work days and 7 am sessions, and my singular promise to them is that I'll work exactly as hard as they do to get the job done.