Eye Contact

Last Wednesday I was at an all-day textbook adoption meeting listening to the publishers promote their wares. Interesting, tiring and enlightening all at once. There was one lady who talked very fast. I wouldn't have noticed it (maybe) if she hadn't been in a group of other speakers to compare to. But, sheesh, I found myself shutting down soon because I didn't have enough time to process her words before she moved on without a break. Then that got me to thinking about my teaching. I think I'm guilty of talking at that speed at times, and now I can see the effect it has on listeners. SLOW DOWN for processing purposes.

Another gentleman turned me off almost immediately. He was a professor and very engaging but seemed to be full of himself and at one point rudely shushed his co-speaker so that he could continue. Ick. Then I couldn't look at him for the rest of the time he was speaking. I listened to him, but I felt uncomfortable looking at him because of my distaste for his actions.

Other times at other talks I was so tired from sitting all day that I seemed to need to stare down at one inanimate object while listening to the speakers. That way I didn't have more stimuli than I could handle in the afternoon.

Of course, then this made me start thinking about my students and their eye contact with me in class. Sometimes I think they're not listening to me because they're staring off as I'm speaking, but then if I ask them about what I was just saying, they can repeat the information accurately.

The book(s) I loved were the ones with fascinating math history vignettes. There was love and duels and theft and all sorts of "non dry" tidbits for the kids (and me). I'll have to bring more of those into my lessons.

Sleepy (take 2,146)

Sheesh ... deprive me of more than 2 hours of my 8 hour sleep, and my patience goes out the window the next school day. I guess I'm used to it now, so about 60% of the time when I'm just about to snap at a kid, I realize that I'm a sleep-deprived zombie with no impulse control on the sarcastic comments, and I can stop them (the comments 60% of the time / the kids the other 40%) . I think I was okay about 62% today.

One funny thing. My kids sit in groups of 4, and when I pass out homework, I put them all on one person's desk in the group for them to pass out. And when I collect homework, I ask them to put them on one person's desk to be more efficiently collected. So I'm walking around while they're working on a calculator activity, after I've passed out returned homework and after we've gone over the current night's homework (but before I've collected it). I see a pile on one student's desk, and I assume he forgot to turn his homework back to his group. He's a funny kid that I like, and I jokingly reprimand him as I point to the pile, "hey! you've got DUTIES, mister." We look at the pile and then I realize that it's the homework I had yet to collect, and he turns to me and says, "no. YOU'VE got duties." Oops.

Student Insights

One of my students came in before school last Thursday just to use my room as a study place for her vocabulary quiz that day. She was mildly grimacing about a variety of things such as:

"I don't get the students who say their AP classes aren't preparing them for college. I'm studying to learn and honing my skills in the process. Whereas they're just doing enough to pass the tests."

(commenting on the fact that I'm there at 7:30am even though I don't teach my first class until 11:00am) "Some teachers wouldn't be here until 10:30 even though they should, and they talk to us about responsibility and work ethic. It makes me sad for the world."

Another student in my precalculus class refering to the upcoming test:

"I don't think a lot of us know how to study for math (tests) because up to now we haven't had to, so we don't have the skills."

Another student at the end of the period after I had moved him for constantly chatting with this other boy:

"I think you should permanently move me so that I can learn better and not have to be rude to this person that talks to me ALL the time."

Snow in Central Texas

For the 2nd time since we moved here 3.5 years ago, it snowed in our city. Okay, snow, sleet, rain, pellets, snow. I guess the whole city shut down over 1/4 inch accumulation. On the one hand that makes me smile coming from NJ where we still would have had school today, on the other hand, I know they don't have the infastructure down here to deal with 1/4" of snow to have business as usual (and why should they).

On my 3rd hand (or 1st foot), school was cancelled today AND tomorrow. Woot woot for a 5 day weekend. Boo Hoo for at least 2 extra days tacked onto the school year now. On my 2nd foot, I'm going stir crazy since I can't go driving anywhere. There is quilting and knitting and web surfing and reading and puzzles .... oh yea, and schoolwork that's sitting lonely in the corner (LiC), and AP calculus audit work (LiC), and textbook committee work (LiC). Hey, they should get together and complete themselves, so that I don't feel too guilty for choosing crafts over work. Tomorrow I'll work more .... yesssssssss, that's it.

Blocks & Pieces

BLOCKS

Well, it looks like we're going to block schedule next year. Blach for 3 reasons.

1. "Higher Ups" kept up the pretense of asking for our opinions, but those never seemed to be addressed, and then suddenly the decision seemed to be made.

2. I'd love it if someone would prove me wrong, but now I teach 5 classes of students, and so have approximately 25 students per class (and more often more than that). With block, I'll have 6 classes of students, and so will have 20% more students/papers-to-grade in the same amount of time for the same amount of money. Texas is going towards (to) 4 years of math per student, and now POOF they will have more teacher hours in essence for free. I do NOT mind hard work. I WORK hard to make sure I'm doing a good/great/acceptable-to-high-standards job. I DO mind being taken advantage of.

3. I think students need daily math practice. I think they need time to absorb material, so I can't necessarily cover 2 topics in one day and expect it to be successful.

PIECES

I just introduced piecewise functions to my precalculus classes on Friday. The first year I taught it, I was surprised it wasn't a "gimme" topic. Students were confused by the notation and couldn't always successfully graph/analyze/use such functions. The second year, I tried a different way of teaching it, and still I had more confusion than I was comfortable with. This year, I think I nailed it. (famous last words??)

I started with an electric company example where they charge 10 cents per ___ for the first 500 ___ of electricity per month and 15 cents per ___ for anything more. We talk about why it may be structured that way. I stress the company charges per partial ____ too (continuous). They get to the point where they see the shape of the graph. Then I keep alluding back to this example later to make the connection.

Then I make sure they have colored pencils and a fresh sheet of paper. On the top (as I do on the overhead), I make them draw a number line across the page from -5 to 4, say, (spanning the whole page). I break it into 3 regions and 3 colors and talk about neighborhoods and if x is in one neighborhood, f(x) is ___. Then in the appropriate colors RIGHT under the number line in the correct neighborhoods, we define f, and make a table (all in the right color). Then on the bottom 3rd of the page, we make a coordinate plane, where the x-axis lines up directly with the one at the top of the page and graph the pieces in the right colors.

Then I say, that's too much work to explain this way every time, and we're "lazy/efficient", so here's the shorthand way of writing a piecewise function, and with the same pieces, write it as normal and make the connection with what each piece means. Hopefully, this year, it will be a "gimme" topic.

Vacation's Over

It was a nice long one. One great thing about Texas is we consistently get 2 weeks off for the holidays. I had a chance to sleep in about 8.5 - 9 hours. Luxury.

Things I want to concentrate on this semester (or make further progress on):
1. I'm trying to assemble a workable plan for getting the kids to keep track of their grades. I know as a human it's always easier to sit back and let things be done for you: how many homework assignments are you missing? what's your current average? My rough plan is to make a blank skeleton sheet with room to write each assignment as it's given and turned in and returned. This sheet will be turned in weekly for a grade ... how feasible is it that I will check its accuracy? Maybe that's a quick scan on the grading program. Maybe it will also have room for a parent's signature and comments.

2. I keep thinking about but never actually doing this: teaching kids some simple ways on how to effectively use their notes. Sticking points for me: how do I get them to buy into it, how do I assess their attempts?

3. Okay, my baby step is to read my brain-based learning and teaching for memory books at least 30 minutes once a week, and by the end of this next 6 weeks incorporate one new strategy until it's a habit for me.

Difficulty vs Rigor

We had an interesting math department meeting yesterday to discuss ways to bring rigor into our classrooms. One activity was to look at a series of math tasks and deem them "high rigor" or "low rigor". For example: "Find a smallest integer that has exactly 13 factors". (note: we weren't supposed to solve the problems, just determine their rigorousness ... though being the math geeks that we are, we had to discuss solutions and attempt some problems).

Different people had different perspectives (shocking :) !). We had discussions on, "well, if you just taught the concept for some of these problems, they are low rigor" ... "if a child sees this problem a couple of years after it was taught, it will be hard for them .... does that make it rigorous or just difficult?" ... "is there a set definition of rigor?" ... "can you have a rigorous problem that is accessible to all levels of students in one class?" ...

One More Week (yippee!)

It's all over except for the "tired lady making and grading the finals" for next week. Most of my kiddies have been really good about using class time and homework time to study. Most of my homework has been of the "go through old tests, reviews, book work and redo 10 problems that are challenging for you from a mixture of topics" variety.

I'm also about to get the last batch of cards from my 2 calculus classes to bundle up into books. I had everyone in class write on an index card something nice about every other person in class and decorate the card. They also had to write a card for themselves in which they list memories of this year and things they're proud of themselves for. Then on finals day, everyone will get their own book of memories from the class. There are some great cards that have been turned in (lots of thought and effort), and there are some "eh!" cards .... I guess it represents the different types of people in class.

I've also had my precalculus kiddies make a "cheat book" out of colored paper that they can write formulas in for their final: fold an 8.5" x 11" paper hot dog, hamburger, and twice more in the hamburger direction to get 8 squares when unfolded (4 down and 2 across). Then you strategically cut the middle 2 folds (fold in a hamburger fold and cut from the folded part up to the middle so that when opened and held in a "regular paper" direction you have a vertical cut in the middle through the middle 2 "squares"). Then fold paper into hot dog, holding out at the ends, and "squish" in, so that a + sign appears when looking at the paper. Then while looking at the + sign, fold all the segments of the + sign up, and voila you have a booklet ... "sharp creases are your friends".

Three Student Interactions

Act 1: I have a stacked AB / BC Calculus class with about 13 BC students (and those with a mix of kids that took AB last year and some that haven't) and 6 AB students. We've all done the best we can (well, most of us), and I'm differentiating up the wazoo, and today was a topic I'd covered for some of the kids last year. So. I had a worksheet with 16 problems and let the "oldies" get started on it independently. I taught the "newbies" what's what, and we worked through 3-4 examples from the sheet. The rest of the worksheet was for homework. One of the "oldies" comes up to me after class and says, "I just wanted you to know that we only got through 6 problems, so if WE can't do it, don't expect the new people to finish their homework tonight", in a patronizing sort of way. Oh my. Get over yourself, is what I say.

Act 2: In that same class, at the end, I made the announcement that next semester, if they still want the AB designation, they may think of switching to the other period which is ALL AB and goes at a much slower pace (as it's designed to do). Something for them to think about. Also, if they wanted to stay in this period, they'd go on independent study and just review while I moved on with the BC students. So. Later on, a friend of some of the students in that class who does not have me for math this year, but comes by to visit as I've had her before, comes and says to me (in what I think of her ever so helpful voice), "I wish your BC class wasn't so hard that people had to switch down to AB". OH MY. What was today? Give advice to teacher day?

Act 3: I guess my speech the other day about passive learning actually sunk in to some students. A kid that is bright but has been coasting (and not to well) on his former success in math by just breathing, is not doing so well in calculus with his old ways. We had a discussion about his notes and about how he could use them more effectively and such, and he seemed genuinely surprised at the suggestions, like it had never occurred to him to read over his notes every night to refresh his memory ... or to go back and look at examples in his notes for suggestions on how to do problems. He mentioned something about, "well, hmmmm, maybe I'm being a passive learner like you had said." Hopefully, this will spur him to action.

"What are finals?"

I have a German exchange student in one of precalculus classes, and this was her question. Soon to be followed by, "are they hard?" after I'd answered the first one.

I'm trying to promote less passive learning since I see the trend at this school is: what's on the test? are you going to give us a review packet? oh! SATs on Saturday? Did I study with a workbook or online? No, why would I do that?

My first review assignment last week was: create a list of at least 20 topics that we've studied so far (I prompted them for suggestions on where they could find such crazy information: book, notes, test, homework...). Number the list, and by each topic write 2 things: approximate date "learned" (tee hee), and E/M/H for the difficulty level you experienced then and/or now on topic.

My next review assignment: choose 10 of the most challenging topics for you, and on an index card on the front write topic and a representative problem. On the back write a correct, worked out solution and maybe some hints to yourself. "make it worthwhile for yourself. don't just do it to complete this assignment."

I talked with them about passive learning and gave them a pep talk about, "you could probably write the final because think about what I'm going to do: make a list, pick some representative problems ....". I guess I just want them to reflect on the topics, and even just the act of writing the 10 index card problems will jog something in their memory. I'm also hoping that this will give them an idea of how they can study independently in other classes/schools/college/SAT...

This weekend I want them to practice their cards ... and yes, I'll have some review material next week and spend some class time ... I don't know what else I'll have them do with their cards and such, but I should do something.

Parent Contact

I got chewed out through a string of e-mail messages with a parent yesterday. ... But first a little background. I teach juniors and seniors, and if there are problems, I mostly deal with the kids. I figure that it's time to snip the apron strings and have them take more ownership for their learning. It's worked for me so far, and I mostly have students step up to the plate. I still have parent contact, and I keep them informed of the grades regularly by e-mail. But... -

head on desk? make them sit up/find out they're working 40 hours a week or not sleeping/feel bad for them/keep prompting them to sit up.

cussing in class? stongly discourage it with humor/stern looks/constant reminder until it stops.

Not turning in homework? highlighting the fact to them/sending their grades via our grading program and e-mail to all available addresses/prompting them to come in for help/accepting late work/tutoring.

And if a parent initiates contact with me, I'll make sure they're on the e-mail contact list, and keep them updated.

So. This child is failing my class. She turns in her homework late, in a rush, during the last weeks of the grading periods. She has come in for help maybe 3 times during the year. She never turns in her test corrections. She "yeses" me about coming for help, but doesn't follow through. I still send home grades and progress reports every week and a half or so. I have never heard from the parent. Well, unknown to me, somehow her mother's e-mail address got "unchecked" in the grading program, and she hasn't been receiving this child's grade updates. The only way I guess she found out her current grade was to check her daughter's e-mail. (after thinking about it, I remember that the girl had come in one day and told me that her e-mail address had changed and gave me the new one. I didn't think anything about it, since we have many parents that don't have e-mail, and I had no reason to doubt her, and so I changed it. Bad move.)

Well. ...oh my god you're a horrible teacher...why didn't you contact me if her grades were so bad ... I see you've given up on her ... I'll be speaking to her counselor ... I'm not your average parent, I care about my child's grades ... and back and forth.

Note to self: Make SURE you have some working e-mail address for any potentially failing student.

Random Thoughts

* Sometimes it's just nice to have a full period of just practice on current topics without feeling you have to physically "teach".

* Kids that are chatty and goofy to you and seem to disrupt the class are welcome diversions for some other students ("thanks for making class fun").

* Sometimes students just feel like zoning out by 7th period because they've had to sit in their seats ALL day, and they're tired after lunch, and they need a brain break.

* Having kids volunteer to go caroling to another math class with your "fraction song" is fun.

* Some kids are so shy they never talk to their group mates, and so their groupmates never talk to them, and so the kid feels like no one likes them. Note to self: take another groupmate aside and ask her to make a special effort to talk with this shy one.

* Losing your school keys and STILL not finding them after 2 weeks even though you KNOW you opened your classroom door with them and then POOF they were gone is creeping you out.

* What stays in the corner but goes around the world?

Seating Charts

The natives are getting restless, and chatty, and so it's time for new seating charts. I used to feel semi-bad about moving them around and deciding where they sit, but now I don't. As I tell them
1. it's not fair to always have to sit in the back/front/etc for the whole year
2. it's nice to meet new people

I poll them on quarter sheets of colored paper before I switch seats, to see if they have issues (eyesight/air conditioner/strong dislikes...), and to see how everything else is going in class and in life. I've gotten various positive comments back about seating charts, and I've noticed students actually making new friends after seats have been changed, so I guess it's a good thing ... AND quiet for a while.

And if I remember, the first day after seats are changed, I make sure to put 2 questions on the overhead for them to discuss with their new group (they sit in groups of 4 seats) for about 5 minutes, and then we class share, so that they get a chance to be forced to interact and learn each others' names.

My Classroom Clock

Classroom Clock
Originally uploaded by math_mambo.

A couple of years ago my student aid showed me this great idea for my classroom clock, and I've used it ever since. Now my frazzled mind does not have to remember the quirky ending times of each period. I can just glance up and see how much time I have left for my fascinating mathematical lectures.

Practice

I bought an intriguing book a few weeks ago, and I've been reading snippets of it. It's about "how the brain learns", and I just read a section that gave me pause:

Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. If a student is just learning something new and is starting their practice of the concept, but does the method incorrectly over and over at the start, that's going to stick in their brain and will be harder to unlearn later.

Well that's kind of scary, and I can see how I now want to rush around the room and make sure they're all doing it right the first time.

I also read on another thread someone's thoughts on how we teach math: if we taught English the way we are prompted to teach math, then we'd never teach Poetry or Shakespeare. You'll never use them in real life. However, your education would be remiss without being exposed to them.

Testing Testing 123...

I tested in all my classes today. I re-remembered (?) a strategy I've used before for particularly chatty/social classes - the ones that take about 5 minutes to settle down to start a test. I stand at the door and hand them the tests as they enter the room. That way, they immediately put their stuff away and get to work, and I don't have to "shhhh, shhhh" them at all. Note to self - don't forget this strategy. Note-note to self - who are you kidding.

I also noticed yesterday that my precalculus classes were all stressed out because I was going to make them remember trig sum/difference/double/half formulas. So I pulled out another trick today. I "sold" them a formula sheet for one point off their exam (out of 30 points). If they chose not to use it, I added a bonus point to their exam. Sheesh. I hope it worked for some of the kiddies.

I again differentiated my calculus exams. They're onto me now, though. As I'm handing them out, they all (the upper level ones) pipe up with, "are there different versions?", and they watch how and to whom I pass out what, and I don't even say anything, and then they answer themselves with, "yea, different versions."

Okay, now I get to grade the things. Yay, grading.

Old Age Benefits

In precalculus the other day, I was demonstrating with my body (ooh, tactile learning) how angles can be coterminal. I propped out one arm to signify my original angle, and then did a windmill type motion with my other arm to signify going around 2*pi times to end up at the same place. I was exuberant in my delivery and went around a couple of times.

A few kids in the front rows started giggling. "Can you do that again?". Giggle, giggle. I realized they were staring at my arms ... specifically at my "tricep" region that didn't stop moving when my arm did.

Hmph. I fake grimaced them and asked if they were laughing at my fat, and warned that they'd be there some day. Little pipsqueaks.

Last Day of Grading Period

I was uncharacteristically on top of my grading and entering this week (thanks to my student aide in a big way), and I was trying to have no work to do this weekend because it's our 12th anniversary. Well, wouldn't you know it I had about 5 or so students stay after scrambling to turn in late work for partial credit and do retests and a "hail mary pass" to try to pass for the 6 weeks. Some of them made it, and some didn't.

Hey! here's an idea. Turn in your work on time and come in for tutoring BEFORE the last day of the 6 weeks. Well. I guess some of them are still learning how to learn, and I believe they need to fail before they see the need to actually change their ways.

Funny joke from a Laffy Taffy wrapper from my students: Why was the policeman in bed?

He was an undercover cop. (ar ar ar ar)

differentiating instruction

For my last calculus test, in both classes, I gave 3 versions of the test to the students, and I decided silently which to give to whom. I had a bulk of studetnts take the "middle of the road tests" that was challenging but doable. For my struggling kids I gave a basic straightforward "regurgatate what I taught you" test with teeny "twists". Then, for the elite "yawn, I can do this in my sleep" kiddies, I gave a 3 question super hard exam with the unspoken thought that I'd give them full credit (which they would have earned on any of the other versions) if they just put out an effort.

No one knew what I did, and as the test began I watched the "elite" faces. They looked at the test, looked at me, looked at the clock, looked back at the test, looked at me. I just smiled and made the "come on what are you waiting for" motion with my hands. They rallied forth. They didn't finish, but I quietly went around and stuck sticky notes on their tests to tell them to finish at home and turn it in the next time or whenever they finish.

Several have turned it in. A few have questions, and I gave them hints. A couple of kids have come in for tutoring and I set them to work with each other, and they fed off each other's brains. I keep reassuring them, "I wouldn't have given it to you if I didn't think you could do it". Most are doing fine. Only one kid keeps saying, "it makes me feel stupid". He's the one that was a wee bit cocky about his abilities, such as they are. Hopefully, he'll step up to the plate.

No other news. Except a ton of kids come after school for tutoring. I provide snacks (graham crackers and "cheddar bunnies" and such), but I make sure to kick them out in time to go to yoga or tap :). Sheesh, they're demolishing my supplies. Must. Go. Shopping.

Words

A student was recounting to me her "horrible, awful, very bad day" of a few days ago and just generally venting about things. One incident that happened was that a counselor had given her a key to the teacher copy room to go retrieve something. Now at our school we have a variety of hall wanderers and kids skipping class and not being where they are supposed to be, so it's easy to get into the habit of treating every students you see outside of class during the day as someone who's "doing something wrong" since they're not in class. This student is not that type at all, but she got flustered when a teacher started giving her the 3rd degree about why she had a key and who's was it and what was she doing there. And I guess he said some off the cuff remarks to her.

As she was recounting this to me, she said, "you know, teachers should know the power of their words to students - whether they're good words or bad, they greatly affect us. Maybe you guys don't know how much".

It also helped remind me not to treat every student I see in the halls as "criminals". I've put on more of a concerned air (where are you supposed to be, sweetie?) as opposed to a police air (where's your pass!?!). This has led to some interesting short conversations with kids:

- my teacher kicked me out of class because I smiled and she thought I was being disrespectful.

- I was kicked out of TMC because I had my head down, and the teacher said, "Robert, put your head up", and I didn't respond because my name is not Robert, and the other kids laughed, and the teacher thought I was being fresh.

- I have to go to the school store to buy "female supplies" but I don't have money, and I can't find my sister, and the next period teacher won't let me be late because she's mean.

- (in response to my question of "what's so interesting to look at out there" to a boy who was in the halls just staring out the window at the lunch time crowd) "girls", he said bashfully.