What's working:
Note taking time during my class. Students are quiet and engaged (most of the time).
Pulling popsicle sticks for answers to warm-up questions (holds all my students accountable, finally figured out the solution to this problem last week)
Walking around to check off students homework. I get more time to answer questions and I have to have at least some conversation with every one of my students each day.
Doing all homework grading at school. It's an amazing thing. I don't know why it's so wonderful but it definitely is.
What's not working:
The volume level in all of my classes during transition times. Most of this falls on me and making sure that students have worthwhile tasks to do while I switch from one activity to another. This also is an example of where my expectations were not set high enough at the beginning of the class.
Giving the most effective notes possible is not happening. Although my students are getting much better at using academic vocabulary, I need to be better at getting them notes in a more effective manner. I want to have time for them to do examples or a meaningful activity before they get work time.
Having students write notes on summaries. I'm just not asking them to do this enough, but that will change next chapter. I just have to find a good way to grade them or motivate them to complete it. Graded notes?
What I'm not sure is working:
Guided notes. This is helpful for some students and in some of my classes, enough students are required to have them that I just make them for everyone. But they keep loosing them. I will need to come up with a better system for my notes next trimester. I'm six weeks in and about 3 weeks in to printing notes form some of my classes. I will get better at it and see how the rest of this term goes, as well as ask students their opinion about them as the term goes on.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Solving Inequalities
I'm finally getting to the point in the year where I can go home after school and not have to have to work on school work as much. I'm hoping to be able to spend more time blogging about my days. I have to vent and this seems like the perfect way to do it and to share my experiences.
I have an algebra class as well as some geometry classes. Hopefully some topics will come up that will be helpful to people and maybe some others can help me learn too.
In my algebra class we've started working with solving inequalities.
I found this amazing lesson plan that I revamped for my class. I hope that it works for my students.
Here are some parts of the solving inequalities lesson that I just love!
http://www.nsa.gov/academia/_files/collected_learning/middle_school/pre-algebra/intro_solving_graph_inequal.pdf
Next mission: Making proofs tolerable for my geometry students
I think that we are going to use pieces of proofs and have them put them together in the right order. I just have to figure out which format will work the best for this and some proofs that they will be able to complete.
I have an algebra class as well as some geometry classes. Hopefully some topics will come up that will be helpful to people and maybe some others can help me learn too.
In my algebra class we've started working with solving inequalities.
I found this amazing lesson plan that I revamped for my class. I hope that it works for my students.
Here are some parts of the solving inequalities lesson that I just love!
http://www.nsa.gov/academia/_files/collected_learning/middle_school/pre-algebra/intro_solving_graph_inequal.pdf
Next mission: Making proofs tolerable for my geometry students
I think that we are going to use pieces of proofs and have them put them together in the right order. I just have to figure out which format will work the best for this and some proofs that they will be able to complete.
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