End of Year Reflection

As the end of the year approaches, I like to look back and reflect on things that have gone really well this year and some things that, well, haven't.  I started the year with three big goals that I wanted to accomplish: using math notebooks, learning stations, and math bucks (you can read my post about them here.)  Overall, I was really pleased with how I accomplished those goals.

1) Math Notebooks

I am THRILLED with how my math notebooks turned out!  I loved how they required students to keep everything in one place, and because everything was glued in it meant that they weren't losing the notes we had taken throughout the year.  I am able to tell students to look up something we've already covered that they might have forgotten (integer rules, or common fraction to decimal conversions) which puts the responsibility back on them instead of me. 

I used their notebooks as a quiz grade at the end of each quarter, which helped keep them responsible for them.  I still had a few students who would spend the last two weeks of the quarter desperately updating their notebooks because they hadn't kept it up to date throughout the nine weeks, but overall they did very well with them.  One thing that I will make sure to focus on a bit more next year is the table of contents - my students didn't understand how to fill that in correctly using their own notebooks, and often would wait until the end of the nine weeks to come in and copy mine.  It wasn't until the third nine weeks that I realized this was happening (when I hadn't updated mine and they were all in a panic because they didn't know how to do it).  Next year I'll make sure we really cover this at the beginning of the year.

I am going to try to do a really in depth post on our math notebooks over the summer - I'm even thinking about including a video so you can see EVERYTHING we did with them!

2) Learning Stations

How I organize stations (ignore the voting in the corner - that was for something else)

This is probably the one thing that didn't go as well as I had hoped.  I started off they year strong, but about the time I started slacking with the blog, I started slacking with stations as well.  It's a shame too because my students really enjoyed them and got a lot out of them.  I created quite a few activities for the stations that worked really well and that I will continue to use.  Whenever I did stations I tried to have one technology station, one game station, one independent practice station, and one partner practice station.  I was really happy with the technology and game stations I came up with, but really struggled to come up with meaningful independent and partner practice activities.  On top of that, creating the technology activities and games was also very time consuming.  I am hoping that next year, since I have some of these already created, it will be easier to implement consistently.

3) Math Bucks

You can find math bucks here, on Teachers Pay Teachers - (not my product)

I was happy with how using the math bucks in class went.  It was a very effective classroom management tool and my students loved it. One thing I did up changing part way though the year was the cost of certain things (mainly right or wrong on tests, and hints).  I realized around Dec/Jan I wasn't handing them out as often as I really needed to for them to be effective, so I dropped the 'price' to reflect that.  I have gotten better since then, and I think I will start with the original prices next year, and just really try to make sure I am handing them out more often.

 

 

One thing that did not go as well this year as I had hoped was this blog.  I got very overwhelmed around the beginning of the new year with my husband deployed, the graduate classes I was taking, math department chair, our impending move back to the states (woo hoo!), and the roll out of all the new technologies (1:1 laptops and new SmartBoards).  I was really hoping to have a new post at least every week, and that obviously didn't happen.  I would like to use this summer to try and post about some of the things I did this year but just couldn't find the time to write about.

What are some things you're reflecting on that went well, or maybe not so well?

~Brittany~

 



Changing Routines

I started a new system this year for students who were absent to get their missing work.  My plan was to have a expandable file folder with a section labeled for each class in my student office area.  I was going to write the name of each absent student on the paper, and then file it in the correct section so students would know to look there for the papers they missed.  It sounds like an excellent plan, and if used properly, probably works like a dream.  If you use it properly.  Which I don't.  The first month of school is over, and after about the first week I could not for the life of me remember to put the names on the papers, let alone file them.  And on top of that, my students who were present would go in there and take another copy because they lost original.  So, needless to say, the plan wasn't working - so, I changed it.

In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to keep trying to use something that just doesn't work for you simply because you're worried about the students having to learn a new routine or procedure.  I would say that trying to change something you've been doing all year in the last month might be a little nutty, but if you realize your system isn't working then don't keep using a broken system!  Fix it! Improve it, rearrange it, reorganize it, get rid of it completely - whatever you need to do to make your life easier in the long run.  Working with a broken system is only going to cause you headaches and frustration - and we get enough of both of those things as it is.  It sounds really simple, and a lot of people are probably thinking, "well, no duh" but I have meet so many people who just keep doing something the same way because they don't want to make the effort to change it.

My new system is still using the very pretty expandable file folder I bought (didn't want to waste it), but now I have the sections labeled for the type of activity/assignment it is.  I have a section for extra homework assignments, extra class work assignments, extra notebook activities, for new students, and for notebook setup. There is a lot of student turnover in DoD schools, so I will definitely end up with more than a few new students as the year goes on.  Now, instead of having to write names on papers and sort them into the correct section, I can just place the extras I have after the lesson into the appropriate slot.  This has already helped me stay organized (now I know where all my extras are), and has helped the students find exactly what they are looking for.  I still have to help students find their missing work sometimes, but this way is a LOT easier for me - and that means less headaches. 

~Brittany~

Last Five Minutes

I've always been one to teach up until the absolute last minute of class.  It doesn't help that I tend to over plan - although that is better than the alternative (under planning = a teacher's worst nightmare). I am always rushing to fit one more thing in, which I know is just a bad idea - the students are confused, they're stressed, I'm stressed, and I'll forget to tell them something or do something that NEEDED to happen. Even when I started to make a point of stopping five minutes before the bell at the end of class last year, I still could never seem to remember to make sure my room was put back together and that I had passed back papers to everyone.  As I've mentioned before, organization is not something that comes naturally to me.

It was so much easier passing back papers in fifth grade - I had a mailbox system and a classroom job to take care of that (and it helped that I only had 18 students).  Last year, my first year in middle school, when I only saw the students every other day and for 90 minutes at a time is just never seemed to happen.  I'm ashamed to admit that I literally ended last year with a pile of papers from each class at least 2 inches high that never got handed back. I know, I know - this is bad on so many levels.    

On top of the growing piles of papers, my classroom was always a disaster when students left - scraps of paper on the floor; scissors, glue sticks and calculators scattered around the room; and when I did remember to hand those papers back I would find those all over the place as well!  It was a mess, and I was stressed.  I feel like it's easier to get elementary aged students to take ownership of the classroom because they're in there all day long - middle schoolers and high schoolers can peace out to the next room.

I knew what I wanted to happen in the last five minutes of the class, but for the life of me, when we got there I could only get the first two done - homework written down in planners, and planners signed.  I found last year that even though I told students to write their homework down that unless I signed it, I had about 50% of my class who just didn't.  Even after checking them for months, I still had about 10% who wouldn't get out their planners until I was at their desk ready to sign it.

Then, my saving grace, pintrest!  I kept seeing all these really cute posters about 1 minute countdown or 3 minute countdown.  I knew I needed more than 3 minutes, so I made a 'Last 5 Minutes of Class' list.  I was getting really tired of trying to make cute posters for my classroom (I'll show you some of the other ones I made later), when I found out our school has a poster maker!  How did I not know this?? 

So, I made this beauty with PowerPoint - now, both the kids and I have a visual reminder of everything that needs to happen, and it has worked like a charm!  Papers are being passed back, planners are signed, AND my classroom is clean and tidy!  It is funny when they all say thank you to someone for their help - a lot of times they are all just yelling out thank you to no one in particular!  We need to work on that still.  :)

How do you remember to get everything done in the last few minutes of class?  What tricks of the trade do you use to get papers passed back and to keep your classroom tidy?

~Brittany~

2012 - 2013 Goals

So I was hoping that my second post would be a tour of my classroom, but unfortunately, even after four days of hard work - it's still not finished.  It is getting there though.  So, since that plan went up in smoke, I decided to share my goals for this school year.  This summer I spent a lot of time on pintrest and perusing teacher blogs for ideas - and I got a TON of great ideas!  So many in fact, I began to feel completely overwhelmed by how many things I wanted to try this year.  I eventually realized that unless I wanted to go completely insane and get so overwhelmed that I completely gave up on all of my new ideas, I should pick three and focus on those.  That being said, here they are:

1) Math Notebooks - I have tried to use these before, but never really followed through, mainly because I didn't have a plan of action.  I have spent a lot of time this summer researching math notebook ideas, looking at how other teachers use them, pinning ideas on pintrest, and reading blogs.  Lots of my ideas I've gotten from Runde's Room, including the posters on how to organize your math notebook (see the picture below). 

I decided at the end of last year I was going to use three subject notebooks for my math journals, so I'm lucky that they were added to the seventh grade supply list for this year.  We are going to start using them the very first day (just decorating the cover), and then really get them set up the second day.  I have a different colored notebook for each class so I can work with students as they complete theirs.  I also have a purple one - but I've misplaced it in my classroom somewhere.  I'm hoping it will turn up - that's going to be the one I complete ahead of time to make sure I know what I'm doing. 

My goal is to use the first section for notes and foldables, the second section for vocab - I'm going to try out Fryer's Model for vocab this year, and the third section for warm ups.  I'm going to try to do something, other than warm ups, with our math notebooks at least once a week.



2) Math Stations - This is something I used almost daily and with a LOT of success back in VA, but I struggled with implementing it in middle school with larger classes and without my familiar resources.  When I moved out here last year I didn't have a job lined up, and since the Air Force had already moved the hubby out we had three suitcases to move my entire life.  We forgo moving school supplies since I didn't know if I was going to get a position and if I did, I didn't know what I would be teaching.  Anyways, I tried stations once or twice but couldn't make it work the way I wanted. 

As I was researching math notebooks this summer, I came across some ideas on how to organize stations in the middle school, and so I'm going to try to implement them more this year.  I love math stations because they are so easy to differentiate, they can provide multiple methods for learning the same topic and because students love them.  They get to move around and it helps keep their attention since they aren't focused on the same thing for an entire class period.  Also, on these days, the homework is usually to finish their station work - and they don't want homework so they get it done. 

My goal is to use math stations at least once every other week.  I'm hoping that as the school year goes on we can use them more often, but this is a good start.



3) Math Bucks - Let me start by saying I stole this idea in its entirety from a teacher on Teachers Pay Teachers (which, by the way, if you haven't found yet - go visit - it's amazing) named Jim Bennett.  He describes them as his most popular math incentive and I'm so excited to try them out.  Essentially its an economy system, but based around your math class. 

Students earn math bucks by turning in homework, working hard, asking thoughtful questions or whatever you want.  Then, they can 'buy' things such as homework passes, right or wrong answer on a quiz (you tell them whether its right or wrong - not what the answer is), or so on.  I'm adding a few other things, like bathroom pass or late assignment pass.  I'm also going to try and tie it in with my classroom management plan - if you break a rule, then you get fined.  My husband asked me what I was going to do if they didn't have any math bucks - and I think I'm going to have them make up the time during lunch.

My goal is to implement this system and use it!  I've already printed and cut out $150, but I know I am going to need more.  I also made this poster to show how they work, and I'm including them on my syllabus - I'm hoping that will be good motivation to keep going.



What are some of your goals this year?



~Brittany~