Math, not science, Lorlee says

Lorlee writes:

"I remember that Ray Farley was a math teacher -- not a science teacher -- and he was a relatively new teacher when we were there."

Editor's response: Well, Lorlee, we could both be right. Math AND science --  Was he the original multi-tasker at Central Junior High? Mr. Utility Infielder?

I am certain Mr. Farley taught science because my project for him was a barometer. During our weather unit, Mr. Farley had me take a reading off of it every day and then report the room air pressure to the class. But before I would do that, every day, we would tune in the shortwave broadcasts from the airport on a squawk box that would announce, among other things, the barometric pressure at all the area weather stations. The entire class would dutifully jot down these facts each day. It took about five minutes. Very exciting. The box would crackle with words like "Foxtrot" and "niner niner."

My homemade barometer was an ordinary red balloon skin stretched tightly over a big peanut butter jar. Looked like a drum with a string tied on to the drumhead. Supposedly, as the air pressure went up and down, the balloon skin would rise and fall, causing the attached needle to do the same. It was my duty to note this precise movement with a pencil scratch and a number. Somehow, this number always miraculously corresponded within a few decimals to the air pressure measurement broadcast earlier on the shortwave. Mr. Farley was very impressed with the accuracy my project. Certain classmates were not. 

"He just moves the needle a little depending on the air pressure reading we got from the radio," groused one skeptical classmate -- Brian Berglund, I think. Bergie may have been right. (The balloon skin probably wasn't very airtight. A quality condom would have been a better choice, but not readily available to me at the time.) 

Mr. Farley preferred to think I ran a successful project and didn't want to know or hear anything to the contrary. And I certainly wasn't going to disappoint him.

So that, my dear Lorlee, is how I remember for sure that Mr. Farley was a science teacher. But I would never argue about the math.
Update
John Herdan put the last word on this when he found this reference on the Mathcounts 2008-9 web site:
John writes:


Minnesota MATHCOUNTS
Coaches Award
10-year awards
Ray Farley, Discovery Middle School, Alexandria

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