What's working....

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.