BIO

Joy Rhodes, a charter member of The American Association of Chemistry Teachers, has a life-long fascination and appreciation for all the many aspects of God’s creation. She has been happily married to Larry for thirty-seven years. They have shared the adventures of homeschooling four wonderful children and have enjoyed traveling together from the rocky roads of Guatemala to the icy mountains of Alaska. But no matter where they go, they are always eager to return to their home on a small farm in the rolling hills of Maury County. Joy started tutoring math when she was fifteen years old and has been teaching homeschool classes for the past thirty-five years. Joy finds great satisfaction in teaching science and math and in helping her students develop critical thinking skills. Whether explaining stoichiometry or leading a class in exciting experiments, Joy delights in leading her students in exploring the wonders of the world. Joy is currently pursuing a PhD in Mathematics and Science Education at MTSU. She looks forward to all that she and her students will learn together this year.

Geometry                         

32 WEEK CLASS
*Requires Algebra 1

 

Tutor Name: Joy Rhodes

Course Name: Geometry

Required Text: 

  • Teaching Textbooks Geometry, online subscription or Version 2.0/3.0 (book with or without CDS)
    Student textbook with answer key.

NOTE: This curriculum is not comprehensive enough on it’s own, so it will be supplemented substantially throughout the year with additional assignments to prepare for the ACT/SAT, introduce trigonometry, and incorporate more applications.

Note About Curriculum: Choosing the right math curriculum is extremely challenging, and varies drastically based on the individual  be a student. For a comprehensive discussion of math curriculum I recommend www.homeschoolmath.net. I have found TT to be good blend between mastery and spiral approaches with engaging discussions that help students see the applications of math. That being said, I will also be heavily supplementing with online resources and print worksheets to emphasize key topics, and with this will also allow for the course to be varied based on student’s individual abilities.

More Courses by Joy rhodes

  • Physical Science

  • Pre-Calculus

  • Physics

Other books/materials, etc. required for class:  

  • Graphing calculator (TI-83/84, any version, can purchase used inexpensively)

  • Geometry protractor and compass

  • Pocket folder, Scissors, and Clear tape

Copy Fee: $40

Minimum Number of Students: 8

Maximum Number of Students: 20

Course Description/Outline/Objectives: 

Math does not exist in a vault. It is every bit as integrated in daily life as history or literature, and my goal for the year is to help the students see that! In addition to detailed coverage of the math concepts will be a weekly integration in how math is regularly used in everyday life, and discussions of the historical and cultural development of math (remember math was discovered to allow civilization to overcome problems). This class will offer a rigorous exploration of geometry, while making this exploration fun and purposeful.

This is a college preparatory course.  Towards this end, I will be supplementing the regular curriculum with practice questions from the ACT and SAT to ensure the students are familiar with all foundational geometry material they could expect to see on the tests, as well as help them to be comfortable with the format of the math questions on the standardized entrance exams.

My objective for the class would be to help foster an interest and enjoyment in math on the part of the students.  While unfortunately often times viewed as the most dull (and difficult) subject, the field of math is in itself an incredible testimony to the orderly nature of our God and a crucial part of the beauty He created for us to enjoy.  

Expected Weekly Time Commitment for Homework:  5+ hours per week.

Prerequisites: Algebra 1

Recommended Grade Level(s) for this class: 9th – 11th

Estimated Difficulty Level of course for average student: Above average

Rate for Additional Private Tutoring: $50/hour