Kate Dean - Secondary Math

  I recommend NOT going over the syllabus on the first day of class, and here's why: every teacher goes over the syllabus the first day of class. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but after hearing the same thing over and over, kids tend to stop listening. This is true if you have 8 periods a day or are on block schedule and only have 4. After 2nd period, kids stopped paying attention. So, what do you do on the first day of school if you don't go over the syllabus?  I like to do teambuilding activities the first day of school. My students work in teams all year, so I want to set the mood right away by having them do something as a team.  Before the kids leave, I do let them know what supplies are needed for class, and tell them there is a copy on Canvas (our LMS). This way, parents can go buy school supplies right away if they want. I start going over the syllabus over the next 2-3 class periods. I post a copy of the syllabus on Canvas so students can look thoug...

Flexible Seating in the high school classroom I sometimes wonder if I was supposed to be an elementary teacher rather than a high school math teacher. I LOVE decorating my classroom with all the things. I love having my students color, draw, and make paper chains. I especially love all of the fun furniture elementary teachers have in their classrooms! How my Flexible Seating Journey began... It became a mission of mine back in 2016 to figure out a way to incorporate flexible seating in my high school math classroom.  I started doing all the research (Pinterest became my new BFF), but quickly realized that flexible seating was mostly done in elementary classrooms - it simply wasn't a thing for high school. I had to be more creative in my searching. When I found something "elementary" that I liked, I had to find a "big kid" alternative to make it appropriate for high schoolers.  After about a year of collecting ideas, I realized that I would need some money to mak...

One of my favorite ways to review is having my students do a Round Robin activity. How it works: Move your desks into 6-8 groups depending on the number of stations for the Round Robin. Put one station at each table. I like to copy my stations onto colored card stock and put them in sheet protectors (question on the front and answers on the back) - this way students can't "accidentally" write on them. Put your students into groups. I like having groups of 3-4, depending on my class size. Each group starts at a different station. I set the timer for 5-8 minutes (this really depends on the length of your class and the number of stations). Students work together on the problems at their station. They can check their answers on the back (so you are not running around answers questions all the time).  If they are done before the timer goes off, they WAIT at their station. If the timer goes off before they are done, they MOVE ON. I stress to the kids that it is ok if they don...

Projects are a great way to incorporate other subjects content, areas of student interest, or even turn it into a PBL (Project Based Learning).  Projects give students a chance to APPLY  their understanding of a concept into a real world example. Projects also give you an alternative way to assess student understanding of the skills and standards taught in class. I have my students complete a project at the end of every unit, as a way to review prior to their unit test. My students have said multiple times they enjoy the projects because it helps them review all of the big skills leading up to their test. Here are 8 reasons to use projects in your math classroom: 1. They are a Great way to Incorporate Student Interest Being able to pull in student interests is a great way to get more "buy-in" when it comes to student effort and learning. When students are invested in a project because it is about a topic they enjoy, they are more willing to do their best (and will learn some ...

One of my biggest struggles as a teacher has always been how to go over homework in class without taking up too much time.  Time is always a teacher's biggest enemy, and going over homework is part of the challenge. Some students want to go over every problem, which becomes difficult, especially when the level of math increases. There are other students who don't care about going over the homework (either because they didn't do it or because they aren't interested in seeing if they got the correct answers). This can then lead to off task behavior on some. I have tried so many different techniques when it comes to going over homework over my many years of teaching, and I thought I would share a few of my favorites. This is not a complete list of ideas, but gives a starting point if you are struggling with time management and grading homework.  1. 5 Minute Time Limit ⏰ Post the answers only up on the board and give students a few minutes (2-3) to check their answers. Then...

Trig is one of my favorite units to teach in Geometry. I feel this is one of the few units most of my students feel REALLY confident about. There is ONE thing I do consistently from year to year that I feel has made a huge difference in student understanding.  A WORD WALL I know what you are thinking. This isn't just any ordinary word wall. This is an interactive word wall that focuses on the names of the sides of the triangle.  Why did this work so well? I laminated each piece and put magnets on the back. This allows me to rotate the triangle and change where theta is in the triangle. More about this when I talk about Day 1 below. How do I structure my unit? I teach on an 85 minute block schedule. Day 1 We just  talk about vocabulary and the 3 trig ratios. We start by using THIS (free) magnetic word wall, going over a variety of situations.  "If the triangle looks like ____ and theta is ____, where is the hypotenuse? Where is the opposite? Where is the adjacent?" W...