Scratching the Itch

It has been too long since I last sat down to write. This week was the end of the quarter, so there was a lot to do. Add in my kids' sports schedules and my own workout routine and that made it even busier. All week I knew I needed to sit down and write, but did not think I had "anything to say". I felt like I did not have a "voice"...

Even as I sit here, I am not quite sure what I want to write about...
But I am writing anyway...
I am not sure if any of this will make any sense...
But I am writing anyway...
This will not be one of the most profound pieces on education ever written...
But I am writing anyway...

I think that is it for me. I have reached the point in my reflective process that I need these few minutes to just stop and think. I like to try and block out all of the other things (see first paragraph) and really think about the impact I am having in my classroom and school. This may be the only positive from the new teacher evaluation: an emphasis on educators reflecting on their craft. Stopping the nonsense for a while and HONESTLY thinking about the learning that is taking place in your room or school. Honestly asking ourselves are we pushing the learning forward or blocking it from happening? Are we giving our students a fighting chance in an ever-changing world? Regardless of the latest jargon that people are using, the bottom line is this: are we creating a culture of learning that people want to be a part of? Learning new things is fun. Learning is something that must be shared. Learning is what we need our focus to be on. So again I ask: are we creating a culture that people (students and colleagues alike) want to be a part of?

Whew. That feels better. Thank you for letting me "scratch the proverbial itch".
What are you doing to help push the learning forward in your class/school/organization?

Now, Round (Chapter) 3!

We have spent the last few school days finishing up our assessments on chapter 2. Now, we are moving into the next chapter. For our 8th graders, that means an introduction to Functions and Graphing Linear Equations. We will still be reviewing two key parts of chapter 2: solving multi-step equations and  types of solutions to equations. After reviewing the assessments, these are two areas we still need some work on.

This equation work will be helpful when we get into chapter 5 and Systems of Linear Equations.

The 7th grade is moving into solving inequalities. We will be asked to not only solve them, but graph them as well. This chapter will be reinforcing the equation work we did in chapter 2, so I will be spending time reviewing solving equations with distributive property. This skill will reappear in chapter 3, but in the form of inequalities.

6th grade is starting preliminary work on fractions by working on least common multiples and greatest common factors. These skills will be very important when finding common denominators and simplifying fractions. I was introduced to a great Fraction of the Day worksheet that I will start with the 7th grade a few times a week. I will share this in a separate post. I need to get a lot of my students over there fear of fractions. This worksheet does a great job of raising their comfort level in this area.

What great strategy do you use for fractions with your students?

Continuing to Reflect

Reflection, according to the internet, is defined as: "fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration, a thought occurring in consideration or mediation."
I have tried, the last few weeks, to use this space daily as a way to carefully consider what we have accomplished each day in our class. I have intentionally spent a little bit of time each day to think back on what took place in class period. More importantly, I am trying to use the data I collect from my Formative Assessments to determine where my instruction needs to change for the following day. I honestly thought this would be more challenging than it has turned out to be.

Finding the time the first few days was difficult. I did not think I was going to find things to write about each day. But, as a presenter at the ECET2 conference reminded me: "If you can not find something to get excited about each day, you are in the wrong profession." That simple statement woke me up and got me writing again. I now look forward to these few moments of reflection at the end of each day.

Do not get me wrong, I sometimes need to do this reflection at home before bed. I do not always get the time at school to finish my writing, but I do not go to bed before spending just a few moments thinking about my day. I learned a lot from that conference in late September, but the most surprising thing was that I actually do enjoy writing and that I might have something worth writing about. I was always worried about not having "a voice", but through some hard work and persistence, I believe I am starting to find it. Who would have thought I could have learned so much from such a simple sentence.

What got you reflecting on your practice? Please share!

Continuing to Learn

The 8th grade classes received their assessments from Friday. I am happy to report that the class average went up from a 36% to over an 88%. The numbers are supporting my belief that the students are learning how to solve multi-step equations. I did notice one common theme with the ones we missed: students are still forgetting to distribute the second term in the parentheses. This will need to be reviewed before Friday. The summative assessment at the end of the week will hopefully support my claim of constant class improvement further.

The 6th and 7th grade classes were disrupted due to class pictures. I was able to get the students that were present in class into groups to work through sample problems from our class folders. I was able to use this time to visit with students that were having difficulty with particular problems. I was able to provide them feedback to help them work through the problems. Finding times for face to face discussion is important with may students. I had to improvise, but I believe it helped many of them.

I do think the inclusion of this group work in almost every class has been an important change this year in my instructional planning. This planned group work allows the students to practice what I demonstrated to the whole group. It allows them to collaborate with each other and ask questions. I make sure they have discussed the "issue" with each other before asking for help from me. I want them to discuss things with each other prior to coming to me for assistance. This gives them a chance to defend their answers/methods/procedures before coming to me to verify.

Like terms, Expressions and Equations! Oh My!

Needless to say, it was another busy day in our math classes. The 8th graders completed an assessment for me on the first three sections of our chapter. The data from other assignments showed that the students were at a point where an assessment was fair. I only graded one of the classes so far, but the numbers supported me belief: the students were ready. After completing the "quiz", students were given problems to solve in preparation for our work next week on more advanced linear equations. I was happy that I was able to provide some more advanced work to several students in both classes. I like doing this for two reasons: One, it provides the students who are ready for a deeper challenge. Secondly, it shows that how they will use the math we are using today will help them for problems later in the year.

Best part? Being able to work with a student on multiplying binomial radical expressions. Pretty advanced work for an 8th grader, but he was willing to be pushed. I had no problem complying....

The 7th graders were introduced to solving two step linear equations today. We will be working more on them next week along with solving equations with Distributive Property in them. I love the algebra work!

The 6th grade is winding down their chapter on expressions and equations by working on converting word problems into equations and solving them. This is a skill we will need to work on for a couple more days before looking at an assessment on this material. Only time (and the data on FAs) will tell.

Here's looking forward to next week...
What do you do to provide challenges for the students that ready? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Bits and Pieces...

Today was a struggle to get a rhythm going. I could not find my stride. I do not like to make excuses, but I think I do have one: today was our school-wide Lip Dub.

What is that, you ask? It is where the entire school lip-syncs different songs that will be edited together to show one continuous video. We post the final product on our website in the hopes that students view it when considering attending our school (I work in a school-choice school in NJ). Is it effective? Do potential students really use this in their decision making? We do not know because no one has collected any data to see if this is an effective tool.

Needless to say, between getting called down to film our portion and the students being off the wall because they were getting filmed, it made teaching anything even more challenging. I was able to get through some more practice problems with one of the 8th grade classes. I am hopeful they spend time tonight practicing for their quiz tomorrow. I guess only time will tell.

Also, the 7th grade is struggling with linear equations. I have tried several practice problems, but several still seem to be struggling. I will see if I can find an effective video for them to view. Maybe that will do the trick.

Here's to hoping tomorrow has a better flow to it...

What do you do when your daily routine for instruction is altered?

I will not apologize...

I have a confession to make. I am always trying to get my students to be better. I am the teacher that constantly pushes them. I am challenging them to get better. I want to see how far I can push the envelope...

Now, I understand with that comes frustration. Some students just want me "to leave them alone." They want to just blend in with the rest of the class. Fly under the radar. I will not let that happen. My job is to try and get you to be better than you were when we started working together. If you are not better after we are done working together, then what have I actually accomplished?

I promise that I will meet you where you are, but that will not be for long. I will quickly try and see how far I can push your learning. I want you to get better. I want to see improvement. The same old same old is just not good enough...

That is why I work so hard to create a positive learning environment. I want students to feel secure to make mistakes, learn from them and improve. They need to understand that we all do not learn the same way on the same day. My classroom culture needs to support that growth mindset.

As a coach, I am constantly making the practices harder than I think the games will be. I do not want it the other way around. I want my players so prepare through hard practices that game time is second nature...makes sense, right?

This sums up my motto with the 8th graders during our voyage through linear equations. Many of us are getting frustrated, but I like the grit we are showing to persevere through the multi-step problems. I will use the data I collect from Friday's quiz to see how we need to adjust or review.

Do you agree with my belief on the role of a teacher/coach? I would love your feedback/comments!