Precalculus Advanced

A
course expectations
PACKER COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE | 2017-2018
Mr. Shah | sshah@packer.edu | math office F410

greetings!

Howdy! This year we are going to discover beautiful, useful and extraordinary
islands of knowledge. I’m going to be challenging you consistently as you build
bridges from island to island – from combinatorics to matrices to conics to rational
functions. These islands will provide resting places for our adventures, while we
explore what great things these paradises have to offer. Still, any adventure isn’t
an adventure unless there is uncertainty, unexpected perils. I can promise you that
you will not be immune from confusion, wandering dazed and confused.

But don’t worry! Yes, at times it will be hard – all good adventures are – but rest
assured that I’m always going to be right there with you. I am here to tell you now:
we are in this together and we can conquer all. In fact, I’m going to make sure we
make it to the end of the year with lots of sparkling mathematical treasures to your
name: graphs of neat functions, interesting ways to count, functions related to
circles, and other surprises.

teaching goes both ways

With this said, you are now at a point in your education where you are responsible
for your own learning. You are old enough to know what you need to do when you
are having difficulty. Wait, are you? Pop quiz.

When you are feeling lost in class, you should:

(a) wait until the next class and hope that it will all begin to make sense.
(b)not do anything… it’s only one concept and you know you’ll be tested on a
bunch, so it won ‘t be a big deal to not learn it.
(c) ask someone else for help – whether it be Mr. Shah, your desk partner, or a
friend.
(d)watch Bob’s Burgers and hope that Linda Bencher will explain the concept to
you.

You are in this class to learn some math – and even though we are in this journey
together (remember: I am always on your side), you still have responsibility. For

1
 this class to operate smoothly, for us to have a good time, to get all we need to get
accomplished in mere months, you need to

… come to class prepared every day

… spend quality time working on your nightly work daily
… not be afraid to ask questions about concepts or nightly problems you are
struggling with
… be engaged in every class
… be kind and respectful to the other members of the class

If you keep your end of the bargain, I guarantee you that your mind with be
brimming with intellectual riches at the end of the school year. You will have learned
a lot.

Just as I expect only the best from you, I want you to expect the best from me. I
promise to come to each class well-prepared, ready to embark on our daily
adventures. I promise to put full effort towards make our classtime engaging and
thoughtful. I promise to respect you.

learning

You might have always felt like you were awesome at mathematics. Maybe you
never really studied for a math test. Or you might have enjoyed it but felt you never
got it as easily as your classmates. Or maybe you struggled but persevered.

Precalculus is a different beast from the algebra you’ve been doing because it
ramps up the abstraction, requires a lot of problem solving, and asks you to explain
your ideas clearly. You might feel like these sorts of skills come naturally to you. If
so, great! But for many, they won’t. Historically, the start of the year can be
challenging for students. The important thing for you to know is: you should think of
things you don’t get right away as opportunities to learn. Maybe you have to ask a
lot more questions. Maybe you have to find a new way to study at home. Maybe
you need to approach how you use class time in a different way. Maybe you have to
work on your writing skills when explaining your solution.

Here’s the thing: being confused or wrong is great. I know that sounds strange
coming from a teacher, but if everyone “got” everything right away, we wouldn’t
need class. In order to create mathematics, to build up ideas, you have to be okay
being wrong. You have to be okay sharing your ideas even if you aren’t certain
about them. Why? Because being wrong is the first step on the way to figuring
things out. Saying you’re confused when you aren’t grokking something is
something I admire. Asking questions to get clarification is something I admire.
These things mean you are working to figure something out. And when you have
that moment of insight and things click – that’s powerful. You worked for that. It
feels awesome. (Hopefully you’ve felt that in math before!) And because you
weren’t getting something and had to really work with it, you know you really
understand it. And because you figured that out, the next time you’re confronted
with something daunting and confusing, you’ll have the confidence to tackle it. So
being wrong is great, because it’s the best place to learn something challenging.
2
 One thing I’ve noticed is that often times – especially in my advanced classes –
students are nervous about asking for help, or posing questions, or sharing
thoughts or answers they are uncertain about. Why? Because they’re afraid of
being wrong. Of being seen by their teacher or their classmates as “dumb.” I can
pretty much guarantee you that your classmates aren’t judging anyone. It’s a fear
we have (I have it too!), but it’s not based in reality. And I have the utmost respect
for students really working hard for understanding. Even though it can be scary, I
want you to put away your pride and fear and get comfortable asking questions and
sharing your thinking.

Here’s the thing…

It’s okay to not get something right away. It’s okay to be really confused. That’s a
perfect place to begin the learning process. And if you can own that, stay positive,
get help, and work hard, you are much likelier to succeed.

inclusivity

As your instructor, I am committed to creating a classroom environment that

welcomes all students, regardless of race, gender identity, nationality, sexual
orientation, social class, political ideology, and religious beliefs. We all have implicit
biases, and I will try to continually examine my judgments, words and actions to
keep my biases in check and treat everyone fairly. I hope that you will do the same,
that you will let me know if there is anything I can do to make sure everyone is
encouraged to succeed in this class. All are warmly welcomed in the learning of
mathematics. Any student who feels they are experiencing a hostile environment,
please speak with me.

materials

This year you will be required to have a large three-ring binder and a folder for this
class. We will have many many many handouts, and I expect you – for each unit –
to keep all your nightly work and handouts in the folder. At the end of each unit,
you will transfer all your materials to your binder which you will keep at home. If I
ask you to bring your binder to class, you must bring it to class – no exceptions. I
may aperiodically want to collect your binders to see how organized you are.

To keep your work organized, I am going to require that you carry around a folder
specifically dedicated for math. I don’t want to see English papers or sheet music
in there. Seriously. Math only. Kay? Phew.

For nightly work, I am requiring you to have at all times hole punched graph
paper – since we will be graphing a lot in this class. You must do your work on this
graph paper, and on the top of the paper, write the following header:

Bruce Dennis [Name]

September 21, 2017 [Date Assigned]

3
 Section 3.1#1-5 (odd), 8, 9, 21, 25
[Section/Problems]
Problems I struggled with: 4, 9 [Want To Go Over]

I will check your nightly work in two different ways. Either I check that you have
done it, or I will collect and grade it. Because I may be collecting your work, you
should make sure you aren’t doing it in your notebook. If we do work from the
textbook, you need to check your odd problems in the back of the book, and make
corrections/notes if you get them wrong using a different colored pen/pencil.

As for your class notes, you can either use a notebook or hole punched graph
paper. Your choice. However, you will want to keep good notes, because the
textbook is going to be very supplementary. As you can probably see, this class
requires you to have strong organizational skills to keep track of the handouts you
will receive (almost daily), your nightly work papers, and your assessments.

You also should come to class every day with your laptop (we will be using desmos
and a geogebra), a graphing calculator, a pencil, and a colored pen/pencil to make
corrections and annotations to your work.

safety

Your safety is my number one concern, and mathematics can get treacherous at
times. My number one rule is: do not divide by zero, lest your paper busts into
flames. But actually: pop quiz. Do you know why dividing by zero is problematic?
Or have you just heard that enough times from teachers that you believe it?

absences

If you are going to be at school for part of the day, but missing some or all of class
(for a field trip, for a doctor’s appointment, for early dismissal for sports, etc.), it is
your responsibility to inform me of this ahead of time. When this happens, you still
must leave your nightly work on my desk for credit before you leave. If you don’t, you
will not get credit for it. Last year, some students took photos of their nightly work
(one photo per page) and emailed them to me. Genius! Feel free to do that.

If there is an assessment on this day, you must (in advance) email me with all your
free times (including break, lunch, community meeting, and before and after school)
for that same day and for the following day, so that we can reschedule your
assessment. Unless there is a reason (which must be spelled out in the email), you
will be expected to make it up the day you return during study hall (during
lunch/community time).

If you are absent for a whole day or multiple days (for illness, for example), it is your
responsibility to first meet with a classmate to get the notes and go over the material.
In my experience, other students in the class are awesome to meet with because they

4
 were there and worked through the ideas for the first time – so they tend to have an
interesting and more accurate way to share what was discovered. If there are still
points of confusion, you should meet with me too! If you are absent for an
assessment, you should email me the night before you are likely returning with your
free times for a few days (including lunch, community time, break, and before and
after school), and we will set something up. If you don’t make up a missed exam in a
timely manner, you may get an automatic zero.

The general nightly work policy for: if you are absent for n class days, you have n
school days to get credit for your nightly work. So, for example, if you missed 3 class
days, you have 3 school days to leave your nightly work for me to check on my desk,
labeled with a note. Or email me photos of your nightly work (one photo per page). If
it is not on my desk or in my email by 3:30 of the third day you’ve been back in
school, you won’t get credit.

I guess what I’m saying here is: if you miss class, you’re mature enough to realize:
you have to get me the nightly work, you have to send me emails, you have to
reschedule assessments. I don’t track you down!

cheating

The crux of this is “don’t.” And for all the discussions that we have at Packer
around what constitutes cheating, I believe you know what it is. So don’t exchange
answers on an assessment, don’t tell a student in another section of the class
anything about an assessment (not even if it is easy or hard, or the number of
questions, or the types of questions), don’t use your calculator when you aren’t
allowed, don’t use notes on an assessment, don’t program your graphing
calculator or cell phone, or do other morally bankrupt things. But seriously, my
fundamental assumption is that you, my intrepid mathematical explorers, are good
peeps! So don’t prove me wrong. If you ever have a question about if something is
cheating, just ask me.

If you do cheat, and I find out, not only have you destroyed my seemingly
unflagging faith in humanity, but you may get a 0 on the assignment and your
parents and advisor and the class dean will be notified immediately. Read the
Packer Student Handbook for more information.

An important note, however, is that I encourage you to talk with other

students about concepts, nightly work problems, etc. You can talk with
others about the nightly work problems. You can work together. But you can’t copy.
To explain a bit more concretely:

What I don’t mind: two people, sitting at a desk, working independently, and then
talking about a problem when one person gets stuck. What I don’t mind: two
people sitting at a desk talking about math concepts generally, or working through
one of the class example problems together. What I don’t mind: two people
shouting uproarious math cheers in the hallways! I am okay with this sort of

5
 collaboration. Just be sure to put the name of the person you worked with next to
the problems you worked on them with.

What I do mind: two people, sitting at a desk, working together on every single
problem. What I do mind: “you do the first half, and I’ll do the second half.” What I
do mind: one person gives their nightly work to someone else, for any reason. (It’s
not okay, even if the person says they’re only going to use it for “reference.”)
These aren’t examples of collaboration anymore – but of academic dishonesty.

Again, if you have questions, just ask me. I heart students helping other students
understand math! But I won’t stand for students impeding other students’
opportunities for learning math.

extra help:

I am always available to meet with students for additional support. I love love love
working with students one-on-one. My brain doesn’t do well with times and dates,
so I keep everything in my trusty planner. For my sanity, send me an email with
the topics you are confused by, and all the times you are free for the next
three days, including breaks, lunches, free bands, and before and after
school. Don’t only list what’s convenient – list everything. Even though you’re
listing all frees, it’s totally fine to put a note sharing the most convenient times for
you in that list, and I definitely will try to accommodate if possible. I ask for three
days, but I will pick the first common free we have! The reason I do it this way is so
that in one fell swoop I can plan a meeting that is convenient for you and for me.

The math department is offering opportunities for drop-in help this year, called
Math Lab. The Math Lab will be held at certain times before school, after school
and during breaks, community times, and lunches. The google calendar called
Math Lab has been shared with you to tell you exactly which periods and rooms will
be used.

This is a time for you to get help from a math teacher on a drop-in basis. You are
still welcome and encouraged to get help from me as a first step, but if you want
additional help, have a quick question, or if we can’t find a meeting time promptly,
this is another great option.

email:

I am an email junkie and I will be checking my email multiple times a day. But
depending on things, you might not get a reply immediately. (But honestly, I most
likely will respond at all hours of night, as long as my spotty internet at home is
working.) On the topic of email:

Howdy Mr. Shah!

I have been having some difficulty

understanding how to divide complex
numbers. Do you have any time to
6
 meet Tuesday (tomorrow),
Wednesday, or Thursday to help me
hey, out? I would really appreciate it.
i have break free tomorrow. can u
meet? My frees are:
i like crayons and purple dinosaurs. Tuesday: before school, A, break,
lunch, community time, B, after
school
Wednesday: B, break, lunch,
community, C, after school
Thursday: before school, C, B, break,
lunch, community, after school

Thanks,
STUDENT X

extra time on exams:

Some of you qualify for extra time on tests. If you want to use your extra time,
which I encourage you to do, you must email me by 3:30pm the day before.
You will be taking it during lunch or community meeting on the day of the
exam. If you do not contact me in time, you will not be allowed to use
your extra time. You have the right to extra time, but it comes with this basic
responsibility.

I am dead serious about academic integrity and extra time brings up a host of
issues. Most important, you cannot tell anyone what is on the exam, in ANY form,
and you cannot study, ask questions, or open your book between when you first
see the exam and when you finish the exam.

placement

There are three levels for calculus offered at Packer. Just because you are in
Precalculus Advanced does not necessarily mean you are destined for a particular
calculus course next year. The total package of how you work in Precalculus Advanced
determines your placement. Not only are there very specific grade requirements for
the various courses, but in addition to grades, there are a number of attributes that a
student must satisfy. Just earning a solid A (not an A-, mind you) in Precalculus
Advanced does not necessarily mean you will get into AT Calculus I&II. You need to
also show that you are capable of doing AT level work, which means being very
consistent with your nightly work, being consistently engaged in class at all times,
and showing that you can handle the amount and rigor of work that is presented to
you. In other words, we’re looking not only for high academic achievement, but a
seriousness of purpose in how you engage in Precalculus Advanced.

Calculus prerequisites: consistent demonstration and attributes of students successful in advanced and
AT Criteria (outlined in the Curriculum Guide), permission of the department head, strong algebra skills,
and a grade of C or higher in Precaluclus Advanced.

AT Calculus I prerequisites: consistent demonstration and attributes of students successful in AP and

Advanced Course Criteria (p. 4 of the Curriculum Guide), permission of the department head, and a
7
 grade of B or higher in Precalculus Advanced.

AT Calculus I&II prerequisites: a grade of A or higher in Precalculus Advanced, and permission of the
department head.

grading
Formal Assessments (75%):

Formal assessments mainly consist of things you think of as “tests.” Many of these
will have a “calculator part” and a “no calculator part.” I will try my absolute
darndest to get assessments back to you in 3 class days (usually less) after all
students in the Precalculus Advanced classes have already taken it. However, in
addition to these more traditional assessments, we may also do some projects or
problem sets. These grades will be incorporated under this heading.

I need to emphasize that right answers only mean so much to me. What’s really
important to me is seeing you show how you got your answers, so you can
effectively communicate to someone else your thought process. Which is good,
because there is partial credit! In other words, show your thinking on
assessments if you want credit! On the flip side, if you don’t show your thinking,
no credit.

Classroom Engagement / Groupwork (12.5%):

You will be assessed on your classwork regularly, and this will be factored into your
grade. This is not a “freebee” part of your grade. A large part of this course will
involve talking with each other and discovering mathematics collectively. In order
for us to do you, you have to bring your best self to class and work well with
others.

Nightly work (12.5%):

I try to make sure that the nightly work isn’t mindless busy work. Although I
sometimes fail, I try to keep the home enjoyment under 30 minutes and helpful to
you when learning the material. I really want the work you do outside of class to be
useful.

When working out of the textbook, I will attempt to assign mainly odd problems –
which have their answers in the back. You will have to check your odd
answers in the back of the book – and mark them right or wrong with a
different colored pencil/pen. Then when we go over the answers that are not in
the back of the book, you will have to mark these right or wrong also with a
different colored pencil/pen.
8
 Some days I will ask you to do a formal write up of a couple problems, and this will
be graded not only on completion, but also on correctness. Your formal write-ups
should include a lot of explanation of what you are doing to solve the problem and
why you are doing that.

Below is an example of a formal writeup. If one were to only do the algebra, one
could solve it in two lines. However I want to know that you know the meaning
behind the algebra, and why you are taking the mathematical steps you are.

I don’t accept late work unless you were absent for an excused reason. See the
section above on absences for your responsibilities when you’re not in class.

If you worked with someone else, please write their name down next to the specific
problems you work with them with. (See section on cheating for more details about
appropriate collaboration.)

Because I tend to modify the assigned problems based on what occurs in class), I
don’t have an assignment sheet. I will post the home enjoyment on our google
classroom by 3:30pm (but usually much earlier).

Your home enjoyment must be more than just some chicken scratch and an
answer. Part of this course is learning how to communicate math well. You should
show all your thinking, in a neat manner, so that someone reading it can
follow your thought process. Right answers aren’t worth much in this class;
right answers with clear and solid reasoning/explanation are.

Extra Credit / Extra Assignments To Boost Grades:

Sometimes there will be an extra credit question on an exam, but that’s about it. I’m
not into extra credit.

Grading:

9
Semester I = 75% Formal Assessments + 12.5% Nightly Work + 12.5% Classroom
Engagement
Semester II = 75% Formal Assessments + 12.5% Nightly Work + 12.5% Classroom
Engagement
Final Course Grade = 42.5% Semester I + 42.5% Semester II + 15% Final Exam

Depending on how things unfold this year, we may change things in this course
expectation. If things will be changed, I promise to be very explicit about the changes.

10