October 26, 2007
Mrs. Screws gave a quiz to both of her geometry classes on Friday. They were UGLY! First, grades had to be in, and she needed to include the quizzes. So, she did it on scantron, and I'm just not a fan of multiple choice math tests. Second, both classes did horrible. I would guess the average was around a 50. These were HONORS classes! Why did they do so poorly?
But, alas, this isn't the reason for my post. There is no way for me to know why they struggled because I wasn't present when the material was covered. My question is "What now?" Does she need to take more time to re-teach the material, or should she just press on? Should she let them make corrections or just scrap the quiz completely? Should there be a curve? Something clearly went very wrong, and I want to know how it should be fixed. I don't have answers for these questions. I have a few ideas of what I would do, but what do I know?
I'm going back tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how she handles the grades. I know some of the students are very conscientious, and they will be quite displeased when they see their grades. I see this being a very hard situation with no good answers, but I know it is one that I will face next semester. I would like to have some sort of game plan before it becomes an issue. So, I'm open to suggestions. What would you do?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
My Mini-Lesson
October 8, 2007
I did my mini-lesson today. I think it went pretty well. The kids caught on well to the key idea (what you do to one side of an equation, you must do to the other). I thought they were somewhat involved when I presented my concrete example of what they were about to do. Right now, though, they seem pretty bored. They are just taking notes. They don't want to participate, and she's have trouble eliciting responses from more than just a handful of students.
She blew through the notes to get to the examples. Some of the kids are having trouble. I wonder what I could have done differently in my lesson/example/activity to make these example problems make more sense.
Some areas for improvement I do see:
-I should have written the equations as I was going so they could make the connection between balancing a see-saw and balancing an equation.
-I should have asked if anyone had any questions.
-I should have pursued the "why" behind: y+5=8 gives y=3.
The second class went a lot better since I had the time to reflect about what I needed to change. The kids were rowdier, but I think their genuine curiosity about me made them behave a little better and listen when I told them to quiet down. They are currently not being so well behaved for Ms. Screws. She's already had to hand out a couple of warning slips.
I do wish the vocabulary I used would have tied better into her lesson. I now know for future team-teaching that both parties should discuss vocabulary. She used very unusual terms and methods, so I wasn't expecting them.
Things I should have done differently:
-I should have prepared a few more "unknowns."
-I should have put a few more questions on their assessment quiz.
-I should have given them an equation that resulted in a negative value for the variable.
I did my mini-lesson today. I think it went pretty well. The kids caught on well to the key idea (what you do to one side of an equation, you must do to the other). I thought they were somewhat involved when I presented my concrete example of what they were about to do. Right now, though, they seem pretty bored. They are just taking notes. They don't want to participate, and she's have trouble eliciting responses from more than just a handful of students.
She blew through the notes to get to the examples. Some of the kids are having trouble. I wonder what I could have done differently in my lesson/example/activity to make these example problems make more sense.
Some areas for improvement I do see:
-I should have written the equations as I was going so they could make the connection between balancing a see-saw and balancing an equation.
-I should have asked if anyone had any questions.
-I should have pursued the "why" behind: y+5=8 gives y=3.
The second class went a lot better since I had the time to reflect about what I needed to change. The kids were rowdier, but I think their genuine curiosity about me made them behave a little better and listen when I told them to quiet down. They are currently not being so well behaved for Ms. Screws. She's already had to hand out a couple of warning slips.
I do wish the vocabulary I used would have tied better into her lesson. I now know for future team-teaching that both parties should discuss vocabulary. She used very unusual terms and methods, so I wasn't expecting them.
Things I should have done differently:
-I should have prepared a few more "unknowns."
-I should have put a few more questions on their assessment quiz.
-I should have given them an equation that resulted in a negative value for the variable.
Paper Grading
October 5, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
I graded and graded and graded! I didn't really get to observe anything because I spent the whole time grading papers. Thankfully, I didn't miss too much. The majority of the class time was spent re-doing the tests from the day before that they did poorly on. The Geometry class actually got to re-do all the ones they missed for full credit! Then, if they still missed some, they got to correct those for half-credit...and this was a multiple choice test! Too many freebies for an Honors class if you ask me.
In Algebra 1, Ms. Screws had forgotten to prepare the lesson. She thought they were just going to go over the test. So she had to do Verbal Sentence to Equations on the fly. She got it ready during lunch, and I got to write the example problems on her touch screen. I really liked using the touch screen--no messy chalk dust, overhead marker stains, or dry-erase board smudges.
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
I graded and graded and graded! I didn't really get to observe anything because I spent the whole time grading papers. Thankfully, I didn't miss too much. The majority of the class time was spent re-doing the tests from the day before that they did poorly on. The Geometry class actually got to re-do all the ones they missed for full credit! Then, if they still missed some, they got to correct those for half-credit...and this was a multiple choice test! Too many freebies for an Honors class if you ask me.
In Algebra 1, Ms. Screws had forgotten to prepare the lesson. She thought they were just going to go over the test. So she had to do Verbal Sentence to Equations on the fly. She got it ready during lunch, and I got to write the example problems on her touch screen. I really liked using the touch screen--no messy chalk dust, overhead marker stains, or dry-erase board smudges.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Discipline and Definitions
September 28, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
The Algebra 1A class took a test and I graded it. Some students did really well--others did rather poorly. Also, those students who finished early had nothing to do while they waited for their classmates to finish. This proved to be too great of a temptation to talk. I think Ms. Screws should have planned an activity for after the test to keep them busy. Instead, she was forced to keep calling them down and threatening to give them zeros for "cheating."
In Geometry, Ms. Screws started with some vocabulary review--supplementary, complementary, acute, and obtuse. She gave really good word associations to help them remember the definitions.
For example:
Supplementary Angles - supper time is at 6:00 which is 1800 military time. Therefore, supplementary angles sum to 180 degrees.
Complementary Angles - hotels serve their complementary breakfast at 9:00. Therefore, complementary angles sum to 90 degrees.
During the question and answer time, I felt like she was leading the students. She never asked questions that made them think outside of the box. The questions were generic, and you could tell what answer she wanted them to give. I don't think these questions were profitable for learning.
I'm also rather concerned about one of the students. She looks perpetually sulky (more than the normal teenager) and I'm not sure if she's getting anything out of the class. She sits right in the front, and I think Ms. Screws looks over her. Maybe she's just bored. Maybe confused. I'm not sure, but she's not paying attention or taking notes.
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
The Algebra 1A class took a test and I graded it. Some students did really well--others did rather poorly. Also, those students who finished early had nothing to do while they waited for their classmates to finish. This proved to be too great of a temptation to talk. I think Ms. Screws should have planned an activity for after the test to keep them busy. Instead, she was forced to keep calling them down and threatening to give them zeros for "cheating."
In Geometry, Ms. Screws started with some vocabulary review--supplementary, complementary, acute, and obtuse. She gave really good word associations to help them remember the definitions.
For example:
Supplementary Angles - supper time is at 6:00 which is 1800 military time. Therefore, supplementary angles sum to 180 degrees.
Complementary Angles - hotels serve their complementary breakfast at 9:00. Therefore, complementary angles sum to 90 degrees.
During the question and answer time, I felt like she was leading the students. She never asked questions that made them think outside of the box. The questions were generic, and you could tell what answer she wanted them to give. I don't think these questions were profitable for learning.
I'm also rather concerned about one of the students. She looks perpetually sulky (more than the normal teenager) and I'm not sure if she's getting anything out of the class. She sits right in the front, and I think Ms. Screws looks over her. Maybe she's just bored. Maybe confused. I'm not sure, but she's not paying attention or taking notes.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Assessment Day
September 21, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
I did my assessment today. I learned that I'm not very good at giving directions. I understand it in my head, but when I try to tell someone else, it comes out all jumbled and confusing. Ms. Screws tried to help me out, but I wish she hadn't. I wanted to know if I could recover on my own. It will be interesting to see how theses assessments turn out. I leafed through them already--and some of the sortings are wild!
Things are pretty boring in some of her classes (especially geometry). It is hard for me not to fall asleep. I can't imagine how the students feel if I'm this bored and I'm a math person! As she goes through her lecture, she calls on students to answer questions, but the rest just seem to "check out" while their classmate responds. There has to be a more interactive way to present this lesson.
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
I did my assessment today. I learned that I'm not very good at giving directions. I understand it in my head, but when I try to tell someone else, it comes out all jumbled and confusing. Ms. Screws tried to help me out, but I wish she hadn't. I wanted to know if I could recover on my own. It will be interesting to see how theses assessments turn out. I leafed through them already--and some of the sortings are wild!
Things are pretty boring in some of her classes (especially geometry). It is hard for me not to fall asleep. I can't imagine how the students feel if I'm this bored and I'm a math person! As she goes through her lecture, she calls on students to answer questions, but the rest just seem to "check out" while their classmate responds. There has to be a more interactive way to present this lesson.
Take Two
September 14, 2007
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
First class - The students are still milling around after the tardy bell, and they aren't prepared for class. As of Monday, Ms. Screws announces that they will be losing readiness points. She spends a lot of time lecturing (aka fussing) so she loses precious class time.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION OF THE DAY: How do you translate words into mathematical symbols?
The kids want to know why they have to do this and she says "Because I said so." I think she missed a golden opportunity at this point to relate math to other areas. She should have explained the importance.
She gives lots of examples--which is good. In the middle of her examples, she gives James a warning for clapping. This is not something I would have done. Pick your battles. She goes on to give a real world example of Amusement Park rides where you have to be "This Height or Taller to Ride." This ties in perfectly to greater than or equal to. I love this example.
Note: This post was made after the journal entry.
First class - The students are still milling around after the tardy bell, and they aren't prepared for class. As of Monday, Ms. Screws announces that they will be losing readiness points. She spends a lot of time lecturing (aka fussing) so she loses precious class time.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION OF THE DAY: How do you translate words into mathematical symbols?
The kids want to know why they have to do this and she says "Because I said so." I think she missed a golden opportunity at this point to relate math to other areas. She should have explained the importance.
She gives lots of examples--which is good. In the middle of her examples, she gives James a warning for clapping. This is not something I would have done. Pick your battles. She goes on to give a real world example of Amusement Park rides where you have to be "This Height or Taller to Ride." This ties in perfectly to greater than or equal to. I love this example.
My First Day at Walhalla
September 7, 2007
Note: This post was made long after the journal entry.
It's Friday and my first day observing. The first class is Algebra 1A (aka Math Tech 1). The students are filing in as I write. This class seems rather rambunctious. They seem friendly and want to know who I am.
I don't really understand the seating arrangement. The students aren't made to fill all the desks at the front--many front desks are left empty while the back is full. Also, many kids are tardy and they don't seem to care. This tardiness made it take an extra 5 minutes to get class started. And these are only 45 minute periods!
Ms. Screws has to hand out a "warning slip" to keep them quiet. I think she should have had a problem ready for them as soon as they walked in the door. It would have given them something to keep them busy and out of trouble while she checked their homework. Due to the disorder, checking homework eats another 5 minutes out of class time.
The students seem to be very dependent on the calculator. They aren't required to do squares or cubes by hand. This really scares me! They need to really understand what they are doing, not just plug and chug. There is little or no understanding of concepts if a calculator becomes a crutch. There is also another avenue for error. One student even said she got the problem right when she worked it by hand but wrong when she did it with the calculator.
Ex. Problem
Three grades: 35, 37, 36. What is the average?
What is the total cost of a $17 CD with 6% sales tax?
Class Change - Geometry
One student is clearly having trouble with the concept of orientation. I think he might be at Van Heile Level 1 with respect to distance between two points. He got confused when Ms. Screws oriented the points differently but kept the distance the same. He kept saying "But it's flipped" like that made a difference in the answer. She had to show him a concrete example with a meter stick--and this is an honors student!
Review problems: I think she is giving them too much help! She should be making them give the explanations for why instead of just telling them. I also don't think that honors students should take open notes quizzes.
Class Change - Geometry (again)
She repeats the same set-up. They review for a quiz. This kids ask better questions.
Class Change - Algebra 1 CP
The kids aren't in their seats at the tardy bell, but class starts quickly, nonetheless. These students are quiet with only a few interacting with Ms. Screws. They seem to get the vocabulary and the lesson on graphs.
Class Change - Algebra 1 CP (again)
This class had a fire drill yesterday, so they are behind. She starts with an open notes quiz (she's a fan of these). Then they start the same lesson as the previous class on graphs. This class isn't nearly as well behaved. She doesn't get very far in the lesson because she keeps having to deal with interruptions and discipline.
Class Change - High School 102
This is a class all freshmen have to take. It is supposed to prepare them for high school. They begin with a 15 minute SSR then do a mini lesson. They don't take this class seriously. During SSR many kids just stared into space, and no one completed the activity following the lesson.
Note: This post was made long after the journal entry.
It's Friday and my first day observing. The first class is Algebra 1A (aka Math Tech 1). The students are filing in as I write. This class seems rather rambunctious. They seem friendly and want to know who I am.
I don't really understand the seating arrangement. The students aren't made to fill all the desks at the front--many front desks are left empty while the back is full. Also, many kids are tardy and they don't seem to care. This tardiness made it take an extra 5 minutes to get class started. And these are only 45 minute periods!
Ms. Screws has to hand out a "warning slip" to keep them quiet. I think she should have had a problem ready for them as soon as they walked in the door. It would have given them something to keep them busy and out of trouble while she checked their homework. Due to the disorder, checking homework eats another 5 minutes out of class time.
The students seem to be very dependent on the calculator. They aren't required to do squares or cubes by hand. This really scares me! They need to really understand what they are doing, not just plug and chug. There is little or no understanding of concepts if a calculator becomes a crutch. There is also another avenue for error. One student even said she got the problem right when she worked it by hand but wrong when she did it with the calculator.
Ex. Problem
Three grades: 35, 37, 36. What is the average?
What is the total cost of a $17 CD with 6% sales tax?
Class Change - Geometry
One student is clearly having trouble with the concept of orientation. I think he might be at Van Heile Level 1 with respect to distance between two points. He got confused when Ms. Screws oriented the points differently but kept the distance the same. He kept saying "But it's flipped" like that made a difference in the answer. She had to show him a concrete example with a meter stick--and this is an honors student!
Review problems: I think she is giving them too much help! She should be making them give the explanations for why instead of just telling them. I also don't think that honors students should take open notes quizzes.
Class Change - Geometry (again)
She repeats the same set-up. They review for a quiz. This kids ask better questions.
Class Change - Algebra 1 CP
The kids aren't in their seats at the tardy bell, but class starts quickly, nonetheless. These students are quiet with only a few interacting with Ms. Screws. They seem to get the vocabulary and the lesson on graphs.
Class Change - Algebra 1 CP (again)
This class had a fire drill yesterday, so they are behind. She starts with an open notes quiz (she's a fan of these). Then they start the same lesson as the previous class on graphs. This class isn't nearly as well behaved. She doesn't get very far in the lesson because she keeps having to deal with interruptions and discipline.
Class Change - High School 102
This is a class all freshmen have to take. It is supposed to prepare them for high school. They begin with a 15 minute SSR then do a mini lesson. They don't take this class seriously. During SSR many kids just stared into space, and no one completed the activity following the lesson.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)