my spatial challenge...

I have to admit.  I'm a spatial retard.  Entirely stupid when it comes to objects in motion.  Which makes it incredibly difficult for me to teach geometry.  Proofs , theorems, and static shapes are no problem.  It's when I need to move them that I encounter issues.  Translations, reflections, rotations (aerate!!!!), and dilations, oh my!  I'm a map turner.  If it weren't for things moving, I would have finished my engineering degree.

So, now that I've admitted to myself and the world that this is my special spatial challenge, I've got to do something about it.  I've always done their homework to look out for potential stumbles, but with the new Common Core standards, Geometry includes a lot of transformations.  I'm struggling so much with them, that I'm wondering if either (a) I'm cut out for this particular assignment, or (b) this will make me a better educator.  I'm leaning towards and hoping for (b).  I will definitely confess my secret to my students.  I believe that this will allow students to relate and feel hopeful toward their own challenges, and feel sympathetic toward me when I completely bungle something.  Plus, they always get a decent giggle out of the similarity in the words spatial and special.

Stupid rotations.  Stupid reflections.

Grading...

My grading policy has changed so many times throughout my ~15 years of teaching.  When I started out, fresh out of college, I graded everything.  Which, in hindsight, I find incredibly silly.  I thought to myself, if the kids were doing it, they deserved to have it seen and graded.  Wiser me now says, it just needs to be acknowledged.  How I've graded homework (just homework) in the past (in chronological order)

• Collected daily and graded
• Collected daily, √, √+, √- for completion
• Homework quizzes (one random question per assignment weekly).  Students would recreate their completed homework onto a homework quiz form.  
• Have students self-grade themselves for completeness, and collect it on test/quiz days (this was for high school though).
• Collect one assignment per week at random, grade for completeness or correctness.  Whatever strikes my fancy.

Last year, I implemented a cooperative team system, where teams get participation points if they all have their homework for the day completed.  This year, in addition to their team points,  I think I will be collecting a week's worth of homework, giving a complete/incomplete (all or none) point, and grading 3 random assignments per packet at five points each, for a total of 20 points.  There will be a template that they'll get on Monday, and turn in on Friday.  Here's to hope and cheers to change.

Extra Credit...

As a general rule, I don't offer extra credit.  It's usually extra work for me, I offer resubmissions, and what standard is it anyway?  

But I'm starting to get cheap and greedy and am having a hard time reconciling it all. I'm at the point where I cannot continue to buy things for my students because I have my own little person to take care of, but I want duct tape. And tissues. And batteries. And glue sticks. The school generally buys the majority of the basics--I just have to ask. But duct tape?  

I can't punish the less affluent students, but I don't want to buy tons and tons of stuff myself. I don't like cognitive dissonance. 

The New Semester...

I've been trying to write this for months.  Seriously.  Months.  I don't think it's my inability to reflect that has been preventing me to get this done.  Rather blame my life—it's busy.  That's all I can really say.  Part-time teacher, part-time math coach, wife, and mom to a very high-energy toddler,

Ok, so it's time to reflect...

The new semester has started, and is well on it's way.  I am be teaching one section of Common Core Math 8, and one section of intervention math, where anything is game.  For now, I will be temporarily abandoning my interactive notebooks for Math 8, and will continue next year at the beginning of the school year as the course norm.  I've been going through the new, school-chosen textbook with some degree of fidelity to see if I actually like it.  And the verdict is that I don't.  I'm a bit disappointed that colleagues that I trusted chose something so dry and well, lame.  It's ok.  Next year, I go rogue anyway, so whatevs.  :-/

My intervention class will continue to use interactive notebooks, although sparingly, because I intend on sprinkling other projects and other fun games and activities.  So far, we've had a decimal unit, which culminated in buying furnishings for their 'apartments'.  I had planned a larger, overarching unit that would include paychecks, paying rent and writing cheques for bills, but I think that assignment may have been too mature for them.  The last time I did something similar, my students were three years older, most of them understood taxes, and some of them actually had jobs.

After the decimal unit, we had a fraction unit that ended disastrously.  We had a how-to foldable at the end of the unit and culminated in making cookies.  Given the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, they were supposed to multiply it by 1/2 and physically make those cookies.

I would take them home, bake them off, return them, and have a taste test.  If they had cruddy cookies, it's because they're cruddy fractioneers.  The cookies came out like garbage.  Every.  Single.  Batch.  Garbage.  Who screwed up their math?  Me.  I gave each group 3 cubes of butter (1 cube = 1/2 stick = 1/4 cup).  They should have  had half that amount.  Sigh.  Better luck next time, right?  I'm making it up to them by baking my FamousCookies.  The cookies whose recipe will go with me to the grave.  Those cookies.

Next up are integers, equations and graphing lines.  I'm not sure how I'll end the integers and equations, but I know that the graphing will end with making paper airplanes.  They will make airplanes on stock graph paper, then write the equations, then pass the equations to a partner.  The partner will then make the airplanes and fly them.  Winners get a cookie?

week in review.

So I think things are going well with my interactive notebooks.  I have yet to finish an entire lesson with my kids—we're going slowly but surely.  After spending a few days staging an intervention and group therapy, and two with an actual lesson (that will culminate on Monday),  I have a few things in mind for the next iteration of this.

• I will start numbering the pages from the center.  Page 1 will be the page on the right of the center seam, and the left page will be zero.  The students will number their books positively towards the back of the book, and negatively towards the front.
• I will make sure that there are getting-to-know you types of activities for the first few pages.  
• I really loved the "Me at a glance..." page from Sarah Rubin over at Everybody is a Genius.  The multiple intelligences, learning styles and color quizzes are brilliant.  
• I think i will also put in a math autobiography as well.  There's a one that goes with the CPM curriculum that I could incorporate.  I've also had students write letters to Math in the past.  My English teacher work-girlfriend (I'm in a polyamorous work-marriage) uses mock Facebook profiles and timelines to do character analyses, so maybe I can work something in there as well.    I'm not committed to anything yet, but I'm committed to the idea of something.

There are, however, a few things that I'm currently in search of, primarily how do I measure progress, and how do I grade my students' notebooks, if at all?  Mrs. Hester doesn't and Sarah does minimally.  I think I'm leaning towards a peer review, or short scavenger hunt.  I don't feel like putting too much effort into something that doesn't necessarily prove mastery of a standard.  And as for progress, I think if I'm happier, and my students are in a more productive/persistent/positive atmosphere, that's progress.

I really look forward to doing this again, but with actual intent, as opposed to out of a desperate need for change.

It's almost go-time

Today, we finished all the preparation for our interactive notebooks (the stuff I should have done at the beginning of the year but didn't and now regret).  My Sixth Period's math-holiday is over, and we will start tomorrow with writing linear equations using slope-intercept form and then converting it to standard form.  It has taken my Fourth period almost three days so far, but I'm ok with that.  I've circled in graphing review as well as calculating slope and reinforcing independent vs. dependent variables.

I'm feeling very hopeful about tomorrow.  My fingers are crossed for Mr. ArrogantPants to have a bit of humility.

Change comes from within...

I can only control the actions and reactions of one person.  

I haven't been happy with my last class, even though there are only 11 students, the personalities and needs of them make it seem as if there are 35.  Things need to change, and I cannot count on that change to come from them.  Thus, without lowering my expectations, I will embark on a journey that reflects my love for my job and respect for students.  I will be seeking patience, courage and peace.

Namaste, bitches. ;-)