Maths Presentations

This semester we are doing ‘class-based assessment’ as one of our tasks with the junior classes (Year 8 – 10). Basically, they were given either an equation to solve or a simple interest problem and they had overnight to prepare. It was one lesson out from their test (on those topics) so it doubled as a revision task. I didn’t make the questions too difficult and I told the girls that in order to get an A or a B, the explanation they gave to the class would be what would get them over the line.

At first I was worried I made the task too easy, as all the kids seemed to be doing well (including the weaker ones). But I had allocated the questions specifically to ensure they all experienced an element of success, and even if they all did well I don’t mind because they would at least do well on their type of question on the test. So all good.

And it wasn’t perfect – but some were truly outstanding, including checking their answers by substitution (finally they are listening!!)

Tech in teaching – which type of teacher are you?

I wonder which kind of teacher I am. As much as I’d like to be the ‘leader’ and I do adopt new technology before a lot of other people, I fear that I can sometimes be the ‘hanger-on’ and that scares me.

 

Best Present for a Teacher EVER!!!

 

I always knew I had the most fabulous students ever, but when I got the following from one of my students, I was completely blown away. Make sure to read the spelling of ‘beliebing’ lol

 

 

I am the eternal cat lady – pictures of my cats have been known to find their way into my slides…

This one is for the day I completely fainted from heat exhaustion before 9:30am – luckily my fabulous students more more than keen to try out their first aid qualifications!

I am still blown away by these gifts. Most thoughtful gift ever, I think!

Probability problem of the day

Fantastic probability problem – as told by a genius colleague!

100 patient people are standing in line waiting to get on a plane. All of them have their tickets – except the first person, who has left theirs at home. They board the plane in the order in which they have lined up.

The first person boards the plane, and since they don’t know which seat is theirs, they choose any seat. There are exactly 100 seats, so they have a 1/100 chance of getting their own seat.

The next person boards the plane, and if the first person is sitting in their seat, they randomly choose another seat. The person after that boards the plane, and if their seat is already taken, they also choose another seat.

When the final person boards the plane, what is the probability that they will be sitting in their own seat as assigned to them on their ticket?

Think about it…then give it to your maths classes!

Red Tape – Technology in Teaching

I am working on creating an assignment for one of my maths classes. It’s pretty good, even if I did find the initial idea for it on the internet. My issue is – I think it would work really well as an interactive website, but the amount of red tape I would have to go through to make that happen – in a school that says they are forward thinking with technology – is just not worth the struggle. I think I’m going to have to go back to the trusty pen and paper for this one.

Someone told me a few months ago was that the online world and the ‘real’ world are not seperate – they are in fact one and the same. If this is the case, then we should really be breaking down the barriers to functioning in an online space, whether it be as a business, a professional, a school, or a student. The earlier that kids learn how to safely function online the better, as that is the world that they will be living in when they graduate. If they are prevented from interacting online in a supportive environment throughout their schooling years, what are they going to do when they are suddenly in the ‘real world?’

As for me and my assignment, I’ve decided to go with pen and paper for the time being. I have suggested to my colleagues that we work towards having an interactive space in the future where students are able to collaborate both with their teachers and each other online, however the amount of paperwork and meetings and permission and red tape that would be involved for that to happen at the moment is just too much.

We know we are going through an educational revolution. We are no longer churning out industrial workers, and because of this, chairs and tables in rows and the teacher at the front of the room isn’t going to cut it anymore. If we are trying to make big changes to the way education is taught and the way schools function, we can’t just wave a magic wand and let it happen overnight. Big change requires time, as well as a shift in culture and in attitudes.

The content and way the material is presented is already a shift – I am trying to encourage my students to apply their knowledge and thinking to real world situations, and to integrate their knowledge over a number of curriculum areas. This will already be a big shift for them. Remember, students expect school to be the same as the way their parents have experienced it, and vice versa. The same applies to teachers too – but that is a subject for another day.

Baby steps.

Our lives in photos

I’ve been thinking lately about our need to capture everything we see in both our lives and while on holidays on camera. Of course, then we immediately post these photos to social media, instantly documenting our experiences in a personal museum, for others to peruse.

Are we that obsessed with capturing the moment that we forget to actually experience it? While we didn’t all grow up in the instant sharing generation, most of us now have completely ‘adapted’ and feel like we will miss something later, if we don’t capture it now.

Our students, however, have completely grown up in this universe. I remember a time not so long ago where I went through a phase where I had to have all my photos (much less numerous per time period than now!) immaculately organised, and each one of them recorded via social media. Now, I tend to upload ‘as I go’ and am much more likely to use a mobile device to do so, however I am finding I’m only uploading ‘highlights’ of the collection, so to speak.

This has made me think about the impact on my students and for my classroom. If our students have grown up in a world where capturing each and every moment is seen as the norm, they are much less likely to stop and experience a moment for what it’s worth and may go through life with only a superficial view and superficial knowledge of their experiences.

Perhaps we should be taking the time in our classrooms to reflect on the value of reflection!

It’s worth thinking about.

3 Reasons Why I Love Teaching

Well here I am in my second term of teaching and while it hasn’t always been easy (who am I kidding – it has sometimes been very difficult!) I have recently taken some time to reflect on just how much I love my job.

Reason #1: all the beyond wonderful students that you meet. There are just so many students who just blow you away with their attitude and maturity. Notice I don’t say with their academic capability – there are plenty of those too but the ones that really astonish me and make teaching beyond worthwhile are the ones who are the truly fabulous human beings.

Reason #2: All the new stuff I am learning. Every day I learn something new, even though I might not realise at the time. I was so astonished and excited to realise last week that I have improved since last term. This excites me. It isn’t a massive improvement and I still have a long way to go by any means but it’s good to know that progress is being made, and I love that I have a job that is all about personal growth as well as helping others towards their own personal growth. And I think that’s why teachers stay teaching for so long (in many cases anyway!) – they enjoy making and seeing progress. It’s not just a case of mastering a single skill or set of skills and that’s you’re entire job – it’s new and challenging and fabulous every day.

Reason #3: The fabulous colleagues and other professionals you meet. There isn’t a single person I have met that I haven’t learned something from. Some are truly outstanding and inspiring – from the colleagues that are exemplary teachers and who exhibit the best classroom management techniques, the colleages that come up with the fabulous and inspiring lesson plans and ideas, the colleagues that make learning fun, and the ones that somehow find time in their busy life to make a chocolate cheesecake. AND share it. Yummo.

Classroom management – my goals for 2013

I am very lucky to have a neighbour with years of teaching experience, and also resources that he is willing to share.  Anyway so he said something about classroom management that I wanted to share with you all:

If you know your subject matter well, your classroom management skills will improve.

This is encouraging.

I have decided just to focus on trying to improve my classroom management skills on a day to day basis, and even if they improve incrementally, I’m happy with that.  And my particular focus for this year is going to be creating lessons that are so engaging, that the students are so busy learning that they forget to display inappropriate behaviours.

Wishful thinking? Maybe. But I can only try!

Creating Independent Learners

With school starting up again soon, I have started to think about what exactly I want for my students in the new school year.  What do I want them to get from their schooling experience? And what do I want my classroom to look like – me talking and doing all the work, or them actually engaged and making an effort in the learning process?

The issue of needing students to become independent learners was particularly prevalent in my second placement, where I was teaching a class of Year 7 students.  Some of the girls were having trouble understanding the concept, and hence, working out the answer to the problem.  So their solution was to bug the teacher for the answer.  I tried explaining it to them as best I could, but as I was feeling under pressure to attend to 25 students at once as well as to cover the unit, I *may have* cut corners in my explanation.  Their response? ‘Miss, you’re not supposed to tell us the answer!’

What did I learn from that experience?  Firstly, students want to learn.  Providing their basic needs have been met, they actually come to school engaged and motivated, expecting to learn.  We cannot crush that.  And secondly, in order not to crush their natural enthusiasm for learning, we have to engage them from the beginning.  This means that from Day 1 of Year 7, students must be encouraged to find answers for themselves, and perhaps more importantly, think of new questions.

Imagine if your students still couldn’t think for themselves by the time they reach Year 12? How would they survive in the real world?

It might take a little extra effort and planning at the beginning, but planning lessons that encourage students to be independent learners and thinkers is easier and better for both you and your students in the long run.

Thought of the day: Questions

If the question is ambiguous, the clarity needs to be in the answer.