Why would you want to take calculus in high school? This group of students could tell you many reasons, but they would miss the ones they did not realize they were learning.
As the calculus teacher, I get to watch the evolution of the student. When students first come into my math class, they just want the five college credit hours and to go on their way, but I try to give them more.
This picture is an example of that. The students are all working together for the final chapter test. There were so many great math discussions going on, and no talk of the long break, sports, plays, movies, or books—besides the calculus book.
I do not answer questions unless everyone in the study group has had their chance to contribute to the problem. If someone gets off task, they are quickly redirected and focused. This is one of many things that I encourage in my class to prepare them for their future educational endeavors.
One of the most important things is understanding that no one in the room is the smartest; the collective is better than any single individual. They are learning that educational networking is a great tool for gaining depth of understanding of a topic.
The students were fifteen minutes late to their next classes because they lost track of time and did not hear the bell ring. I watched it in awe, seeing how locked in they were and all working toward a common goal. Yes, this group wants an A, but they are also gaining conceptual understanding beyond just calculus. They talked about past mistakes on problems and tricks that help for different types of problems.
These students will be ready to face the future. How can you not be when you have Gable, Burroughs, The Brands brothers, Darth Vader, and Yoda all looking over the effort they put in day in and day out?