Day one in any class sets the tone for the year. I know teachers who don't smile, teachers who spend time on scavenger hunts of the syllabus, and others who like to do get to know each other activities like human bingo. The importance of getting to know other students is important as I have written about previously (for more reading see importance and my favorite back to school activity).
By the time students are in Pre-Calculus, they are both serious and know what is expected, for the most part. So, instead of spending time on any of the above on day one, I set the tone by simply establishing my expectations by getting to work. We jump in feet first with a rapid Algebra 2 review. The purpose of the review is twofold:
The cradle of civilization a.k.a. Mesopotamia has an epic legacy that I often only have time to just touch on. A key area in understanding the lasting impact of Mesopotamia is the impressive list of science and technology achievements for this early Western civilization.
A gallery walk is an engaging way to explore the science and technology. To set up the gallery walk, I post 6 exhibits around the room.
There is no doubt that the first day of school is an important one. Although my reputation may proceed me, ultimately, this is the first impression my students will have of me. This is where I get to show expectations: mine for them and them for me.
In my secondary math classroom, I like to kick it off with creative problem solving. The purpose of these gold medal style problems on day one is to:
It's time for the Math Mondays' summer hiatus. Before I go, I will leave you with some of my favorite summer ideas for myself or for summer math enrichment and share a preview of next year's Math Mondays. For end of year ideas, click here for a full list of posts on end of the year activities and tricks.
It's time for the summer Social Sundays hiatus. Before I go, I will leave you with end of year and summer ideas and share a preview of next year's Social Sundays.
End of Year: My one piece of advice for the end of the year is to not to let it escape without meaning. The end of the year is your last chance to make an impression on your students' futures. Make it count! Here are some of my favorite ways to end the year as well as teacher-saving tips for making next year easier today:
I like to think all math concepts are important, but some are so crucial to everything that comes after that to not invest the time for every student to master will make the concepts that follow for years to come more difficult. It is, I think, why so much time is spent on basic operations, fractions, and percents in elementary school. Without a deep understanding of those concepts, the next levels become extra challenging.
In sciences such as physics and chemistry, unit conversion is crucial. In Algebra and beyond, rational expressions are key. Even though my logical brain says they are just fractions, I am surprised at how rational expressions and equations can seem like a foreign language to students. So, when we get to rational expressions, I set aside 5 days (2-3 hours) to work with them. Although some students get it by about halfway through the second day, others need the full week to let the concepts sink in. Here's how the week looks:
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It's standardized testing season. And while some tests will assess what students know, there is so much about each student that make them the unique person they are that won't be revealed. I like to point this out to my students with a quick brainstorm. I post our responses through all the days of standardized tests as a reminder.
Here's a partial list of our brainstorm this year:
I am more than a test score. I am...
