For two years I've been hearing about how incredible the class of 8th graders is this year. I thought the teachers might be exaggerating or trying to be positive because we got a new principal. At the beginning of the year I was still nervous to get the little angles. I felt like I was about to watch a movie I had been hearing about that was supposed to be incredible. You know how that is? You get there, sit through the whole movie, and it doesn't meet the high expectations set by your friends. I was afraid I was going to think they were average students and end up leaving the whole year feeling disappointed. That was not the case at all with these students!
They are AMAZING! This is the best group of kids I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. They work hard, have great personalities, are respectful of each other and themselves, and are overall kind and caring people. I have loved every day of the year so far.
I am trying new things in class and everything is going great. I ask for their input, and they politely give it to me. I have gotten rid of my desks and have tables in the room. We use the technology regularly. We use iPads and clickers often. We use Edmodo as a social network for education. We use Today's Meet. We work together with the people at our tables. They collaborate well, use the technology appropriately, and support each other. They are always just doing the right things! I am genuinely so impressed with this group of students!
I am appreciative of the students, their hard work, and their amazing attitudes. I love their willingness to try new things in the education world with me. I really am having the best year ever! I can't wait to see what other great things we get accomplished this year!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
One of the best days yet!
What an amazing day in our classroom!!
Our school district recently acquired a mobile lab of 30 iPad 2's and today our classroom tested them out before they are released to the rest of the district. The technology director and I have been working on getting them set up and have put a few apps on them. We were testing them to see if we'd missed anything that teachers will need to know when we provide the professional development to them in a few weeks and to see how the students reacted to them. Were they more engaged than if they had done a traditional review and quiz? Would they rather create a product explaining the process or take the traditional quiz of 15 problems?
The excitement in the room was like nothing I've ever seen before. They knew they were going to be making a recording, but they didn't know we had the iPads. When they realized we had 30 iPads that they'll be able to use in any of their classes, they all seemed so genuinely excited that it got me all fired up too! I feel rejuvinated and empowered to keep including different types of technologies into the classroom. I felt like they honestly appreciate our efforts.
We didn't do anything really major on the iPads today, but the outcome was incredible and the students really impressed me with their efforts! The 8th graders in my algebra and math classes used Quick Voice to record their voices and emailed it to me. The high school students in my algebra classes used the video camera feature to record the introductory information about linear equations, direct variations, and rate of change and then messaged it to me. All of the classes made some type of recording where they were explaining the process of doing whatever topic we'd been discussing in their class instead of taking a traditional quiz.
Students, what did you think? Did you enjoy it? Would you rather create some kind of recording or do a traditional quiz? I'm interested in hearing your feedback and ideas. =)
Our school district recently acquired a mobile lab of 30 iPad 2's and today our classroom tested them out before they are released to the rest of the district. The technology director and I have been working on getting them set up and have put a few apps on them. We were testing them to see if we'd missed anything that teachers will need to know when we provide the professional development to them in a few weeks and to see how the students reacted to them. Were they more engaged than if they had done a traditional review and quiz? Would they rather create a product explaining the process or take the traditional quiz of 15 problems?
The excitement in the room was like nothing I've ever seen before. They knew they were going to be making a recording, but they didn't know we had the iPads. When they realized we had 30 iPads that they'll be able to use in any of their classes, they all seemed so genuinely excited that it got me all fired up too! I feel rejuvinated and empowered to keep including different types of technologies into the classroom. I felt like they honestly appreciate our efforts.
We didn't do anything really major on the iPads today, but the outcome was incredible and the students really impressed me with their efforts! The 8th graders in my algebra and math classes used Quick Voice to record their voices and emailed it to me. The high school students in my algebra classes used the video camera feature to record the introductory information about linear equations, direct variations, and rate of change and then messaged it to me. All of the classes made some type of recording where they were explaining the process of doing whatever topic we'd been discussing in their class instead of taking a traditional quiz.
Students, what did you think? Did you enjoy it? Would you rather create some kind of recording or do a traditional quiz? I'm interested in hearing your feedback and ideas. =)
Sunday, January 8, 2012
First Flip
Last week I had the students watch a video of a math lesson and then we did the homework in class. This is considered "flipping the classroom" in the education world. This was the second time I've tried this method this year and it went much better this time. I wanted to reflect (and get input from the students) on the day's events.
First of all - Thank you to those of you who watched last week's video for homework. I thought it was so responsible of you to come in on your own time to watch it if you didn't have internet access at home. This was one of my biggest concerns when assigning the video for homework. Because I posted it a few days in advance, most people watched it before it was due. When the students got to class, we did a quick review of what the video was over and then they did the traditional homework. This allowed me to spend time with the students who needed one-on-one help. After they were finished, we did an activity based around exponents and the order of operations. We had some good discussion about why the groups that used exponents ended up with a higher number than the groups that didn't. Because the students watched the videos instead of listening to a traditional lecture, we had enough time in class to do this activity and discuss it when it was over. Overall, I was happy with how my first real day of flipping went.
Students, what did you think about Friday's class? Did you enjoy watching the video at home and doing the homework during class time? Did you enjoy the activity and the discussion? What would you like done differently next time? Thanks for your input!!
First of all - Thank you to those of you who watched last week's video for homework. I thought it was so responsible of you to come in on your own time to watch it if you didn't have internet access at home. This was one of my biggest concerns when assigning the video for homework. Because I posted it a few days in advance, most people watched it before it was due. When the students got to class, we did a quick review of what the video was over and then they did the traditional homework. This allowed me to spend time with the students who needed one-on-one help. After they were finished, we did an activity based around exponents and the order of operations. We had some good discussion about why the groups that used exponents ended up with a higher number than the groups that didn't. Because the students watched the videos instead of listening to a traditional lecture, we had enough time in class to do this activity and discuss it when it was over. Overall, I was happy with how my first real day of flipping went.
Students, what did you think about Friday's class? Did you enjoy watching the video at home and doing the homework during class time? Did you enjoy the activity and the discussion? What would you like done differently next time? Thanks for your input!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
OUR Classroom
I cant believe we are in our 4th week of school already! I guess time flies when you're having fun! I have made a promise to you all and to myself to be the best teacher I can be. I want OUR classroom to be a place where everyone is comfortable and learns to their fullest potential.
It is taking shape, but there's a long way for me to go to be giving you the education you deserve. Everyone has to work together, share ideas, respect each other and opinions (even if they're different than our own). This kind of environment isn't created overnight and can't just be done by me; it takes a complete paradigm shift and some hard work on everyone's part. If everyone's not on board, it won't be the best it could be.
A few of our classes are really progressing rapidly. We all do what's expected of us. We all take an active roll in the class. We all support each other and help each other; we do this while building each other up and helping each other find our voices. I am so grateful to have students that are stepping up to this challenge. This is going to be the best year ever and I'm sure we are going to learn so much more than just math in our class!
It is taking shape, but there's a long way for me to go to be giving you the education you deserve. Everyone has to work together, share ideas, respect each other and opinions (even if they're different than our own). This kind of environment isn't created overnight and can't just be done by me; it takes a complete paradigm shift and some hard work on everyone's part. If everyone's not on board, it won't be the best it could be.
A few of our classes are really progressing rapidly. We all do what's expected of us. We all take an active roll in the class. We all support each other and help each other; we do this while building each other up and helping each other find our voices. I am so grateful to have students that are stepping up to this challenge. This is going to be the best year ever and I'm sure we are going to learn so much more than just math in our class!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I love the beginning of school!
I should be sleeping...but school's starting soon and I'm so excited that I'm having a hard time falling asleep! To me, the first day of school is like waking up on Christmas morning...you never know what you're going to get! I can just imagine how awesome my students and classes are going to be. I have so many new ideas that I want to try this year and so many new adventures are in my plans for the year.
I can remember having this same, euphoric feeling every year on the first day of school for my entire life. Ok, so I dont exactly remember the first day of kindergarten (it's been a few years), but I do remember the beginning of some of the later years of elementary school through the end of high school and from the beginning of every semester of college through all 10 years of teaching. I hope when my students arrive with this feeling on the first day, I make them feel comfortable and excited about school. Wouldn't it be great to have a classroom so amazing that we all would wake up with this feeling every day?
I can remember having this same, euphoric feeling every year on the first day of school for my entire life. Ok, so I dont exactly remember the first day of kindergarten (it's been a few years), but I do remember the beginning of some of the later years of elementary school through the end of high school and from the beginning of every semester of college through all 10 years of teaching. I hope when my students arrive with this feeling on the first day, I make them feel comfortable and excited about school. Wouldn't it be great to have a classroom so amazing that we all would wake up with this feeling every day?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Summer - Summer- Summer Time!!
Here are a few ways I've used mathematics so far this summer.
- planned a vacation (estimated driving time to airport, cost of a rental car for the week, cost of groceries for the week, cost of total flights - seat prices, luggage prices, taxes, cost of the kennel for my dog while we're gone, total cost of trip)
- hanging curtains (had to measure to make sure the curtain rod would be level and to make sure the curtains would hit the wall where I wanted them to)
- worked on building a deck (angles, even spacing, tessellations, measuring)
- using the filing system at my summer job (it is numerical and alphabetical)
- payed bills
- balanced the checkbook
- estimated the cost of re-doing a bathroom
Monday, May 23, 2011
The End is Near
I tried several new things in my classroom this year, and overall it was a successful learning experience for me. I believe my year was a success because I had the help and support of some amazing young adults! I'd like to use this post to say a few words to them.
1st Hour ~ What a great way to start my day! You are an intelligent, hard working, fun group. I particularly enjoyed how most of you take control of your education. You did the work because you wanted to learn, not just to get it finished. You worked together in groups to get your jobs accomplished without just telling each other the answers; you actually worked TOGETHER to find the solution! I honestly enjoyed being your teacher and working with you to help you find your leadership abilities.
2nd Hour ~ Even though this isn't my first year of teaching, you taught me a lot! Your honesty helped me remember to make it meaningful for you. This was one of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year, so it was good to have a reminder that this is what students want in the classroom. There are definitely a wide variety of personalities in your group, but none of them better than others. We just all have to remember/discover what makes us shine. Your class contains SEVERAL leaders; I hope you use this for positive adventures in your future! I'll see some of you again next year when you're in Algebra in high school.
3rd Hour ~ Your class brought me joy daily! Most of you are fun-loving, have super-kind hearts, and want to do well in life. You're helpful & a pleasure to be around. Remember to stand up for what you believe in and be a leader of your own life & education ~ no one's going to take control of your life for you (and you should never let them). I'll see you when you're in high school!
6th Hour ~ You all definitely don't lack in personality! In this class there are some people who are quiet and some people who are the polar opposite of quiet, but each of you are leaders in your own ways. We have leaders of education, leaders of personal skills, and leaders of working hard! Be open-minded & confident; you can do anything if you believe in yourself & stay focused to get there.
7th Hour ~ Oh, 7th hour! What a hard-working group of young adults! Most of you have taken control of your lives and are leading it in a positive direction...no excuses! Hard work, focus, dedication, & leadership of yourselves will get you where you want to go; I believe in you and know you're going to be great no matter what you choose to do! It's sincerely been my pleasure.
8th Hour ~ What a diverse, interesting, open-minded, kind group! You were always willing to help each other, or me, and we all worked so well together. When you take control of your education, like some of you have, anything is possible! I enjoyed ending my day with you!
1st Hour ~ What a great way to start my day! You are an intelligent, hard working, fun group. I particularly enjoyed how most of you take control of your education. You did the work because you wanted to learn, not just to get it finished. You worked together in groups to get your jobs accomplished without just telling each other the answers; you actually worked TOGETHER to find the solution! I honestly enjoyed being your teacher and working with you to help you find your leadership abilities.
2nd Hour ~ Even though this isn't my first year of teaching, you taught me a lot! Your honesty helped me remember to make it meaningful for you. This was one of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year, so it was good to have a reminder that this is what students want in the classroom. There are definitely a wide variety of personalities in your group, but none of them better than others. We just all have to remember/discover what makes us shine. Your class contains SEVERAL leaders; I hope you use this for positive adventures in your future! I'll see some of you again next year when you're in Algebra in high school.
3rd Hour ~ Your class brought me joy daily! Most of you are fun-loving, have super-kind hearts, and want to do well in life. You're helpful & a pleasure to be around. Remember to stand up for what you believe in and be a leader of your own life & education ~ no one's going to take control of your life for you (and you should never let them). I'll see you when you're in high school!
6th Hour ~ You all definitely don't lack in personality! In this class there are some people who are quiet and some people who are the polar opposite of quiet, but each of you are leaders in your own ways. We have leaders of education, leaders of personal skills, and leaders of working hard! Be open-minded & confident; you can do anything if you believe in yourself & stay focused to get there.
7th Hour ~ Oh, 7th hour! What a hard-working group of young adults! Most of you have taken control of your lives and are leading it in a positive direction...no excuses! Hard work, focus, dedication, & leadership of yourselves will get you where you want to go; I believe in you and know you're going to be great no matter what you choose to do! It's sincerely been my pleasure.
8th Hour ~ What a diverse, interesting, open-minded, kind group! You were always willing to help each other, or me, and we all worked so well together. When you take control of your education, like some of you have, anything is possible! I enjoyed ending my day with you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)