My budding love of teaching, stemming from my larger love of math and learning

Friday, December 9, 2011

One More Reason To Help Me Know I Am Doing Something Good

Another dedication...and this one I know to be for real. 






It helps remind me that I am doing good things by being a teacher. I am realizing that I do have some great student/teacher relationships this year. Of course I have bad days, but each little conversation that is positive keeps me going. 



Monday, December 5, 2011

Preparing for Tests

Recently, I have been really trying to stress "STUDY" and what it really means. In math it doesn't just mean, "oh I'm going to look through my notes", and it doesn't start the night before the test. But my kids don't get it. And I am not sure that I figured it out in math until grad school. But I am trying to communicate what I know now and had wish I had known then...
I have started giving out a "preparing for tests" review sheet about a week before the exam (hoping that next year I can be organized enough to give it at the start of the chapter, but I don't always know if I am going to use the Mid Chapter Quiz or Practice Test as take home items). 

Last test, I know that at least 1 student used it because I got an email from a parent when she didn't do so hot on her test saying she studied and even used the review sheet. 

But freshmen and sophomores don't really know how to study and freshmen don't even understand the idea of a cumulative final. 

This needs work, but I think it is a good start.