4/10/2011

Top Ten Things I Wish I Had Known

Top Ten Things I Wish I Had Known When I Started Teaching

Current Collection of Tips

These tips w ere highlighted both in the Activity Books (ELEM MS HS) at the Annual Meeting and also in the New Teacher Strand. For more highlights from the Annual Meeting, please check out the Blog and the WebCasts of selected sessions.

The following tips are from the series Em powering the Beginning Teacher in Mathem atics, by Cynthia Thomas. 10. Not every student will be interested every minute. No matter how much experience you have or how great you are at teaching, you will encounter times in the classroom when no student is interested! The solution is to change your tone of voice, move around the room, or sw itch from lecturing to some other activity. Maybe you can even use a manipulative to increase the students understanding and, possibly, their level of interest. 9. If a lesson is going badly, stop. Even if you have planned a lesson and have a clear goal in mind, if your approach is not workingfor whatever reasonstop! Regroup and start over with a different approach, or abandon your planned lesson entirely and go on to something else. At the end of the day, be honest with yourself as you examine what w ent wrong and make plans for the next day. 8. Teaching will get easier. Maybe not tomorrow or even next w eek, but at some point in the year, your job will get easier! Try to remember your first day in the classroom. Were you nervous? Of course; all of us were. See how much better you are as a teacher already? By next year, you will be able to look back on today and be amazed at how much you have learned and how much easier so many aspects of teaching are! 7. You do not have to volunteer for everything. Do not feel that you always have to say yes each time you are asked to participate. Know your limits. Practice saying, Thank you for thinking of me, but I do not have the time to do a good job with another task right now. Of course, you must accept your responsibility as a professional and do your fair share, but remember to be realistic about your limits. 6. Not every student or parent will love you. And you will not love every one of them, either! Those feelings are perfectly acceptable. We teachers are not hired to love students and their parents; our job is to teach students and, at times, their parents as well. Students do not need a friend who is your age; they need a facilitator, a guide, a role model for learning. 5. You cannot be creative in every lesson. In your career, you will be creative, but for those subjects that do not inspire you, you can turn to other resources for help. Textbooks, teaching guides, and professional organizations, such as NCTM, are designed to support you in generating w ell-developed lessons for use in the classroom. When you do feel creative and come up with an effective and enjoyable lesson, be sure to share your ideas with other teachers, both veterans and newcomers to the profession. 4. No one can manage portfolios, projects, journals, creative writing, and student self-assessment all at the same time and stay sane! The task of assessing all these assignments is totally unreasonable to expect of yourself as a beginning teacher. If you want to incorporate these types of exercises into your teaching, pick one for this year and make it a priority in your classroom. Then, next year or even the year after that, when you are comfortable with the one extra assignment you picked, you can incorporate another innovation into your teaching. 3. Some days you will cry, but the good news is, some days you will laugh! Learn to laugh w ith your students and at yourself! 2. You will make mistakes. You cannot undo your mistakes, but berating yourself for them is counterproductive. If the mistake requires an apology, make it and move on. No one is keeping score. 1. This is the best job on earth! Stand up straight! Hold your head high! Look people in the eye and

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/2

4/10/2011

Start Student Teaching Successfully!

Start Student Teaching Successfully!

Current Collection of Tips Realize that you are not alone. Keep in close contact with your classmates w ho are also student teaching. Share stories about w hat is working w ell and what may be frustrating you. By exchanging your successes, you will be adding to your own "bank" of good ideas. By listening to others frustrations, you will gain the w isdom on how to avoid creating such situations in your own classrooms. And, by sharing your frustrations, you will gain advice from someone removed from the situation. Join a social networking site targeted toward teachers to expand your contacts. Try NCTMs Facebook or Tw itter, to start. Initiate a conversation with your cooperating teacher before your assignment, if possible, about your learning preferences and expectations. Offer to join to help decorate the room for a new semester! Consider showcasing mathematical artw ork of your students, such as tessellations, or post some problems for students to think about. It w ill be helpful to exchange expectations in advance, so that you can both be sensitive to your differences. On the other hand, be yourself! Dont conform to who you think your supervising teacher w ants you to be; rather, take advantage of the support that he or she has to offer as you mature into your ow n teacher. Prepare yourself by reading instructional magazines and offering lesson suggestions to your supervising teacher, even before you start doing the teaching yourself. This show s that you are not only engaged in observation, but are also looking for w ays to engage the students. It demonstrates that you are advocating for the students learning by going above and beyond the requirements. For ideas, check out Illuminations, a free database of lessons and activities. Set up an observation schedule early on. Avoid a situation where the supervising teacher takes advantage of you being there and leaves the room frequently. Make it clear that you value his or her constructive criticism, and that a lot of your learning depends on these conversations and reflections in addition to the teaching practice itself. Review the tips on reflection and an example specific to your grade. Ask to rotate around the room and work with students as they complete assignments or work through problems in class as soon as you are comfortable, to help transition from observation to teaching. You will gain students trust and reduce the anxiety of solo teaching the entire class when the time comes. Take care of yourself! Make sure that you are getting enough rest, eating well, and exercising. Wash your hands more often, and dont forget your vitamins. You will be subjected to more illness in the classroom because you will be in contact with more people than you are accustomed to. Build up your immunity before the stresses of student teaching have a chance to bring it down! Ask questions to get to know exactly what you will do when students misbehave. Doing nothing and trying to "be cool" will gain less respect than if you set up an environment with clearly defined rules and consequences. Try to be consistent with other teachers rules. Tweak them as necessary as you gain experience of your ow n. Be early, not on time. Punctuality is very important as a student-teacher, and even more as a supervising teacher. Show your cooperating teacher that you are ready for your own classroom by arriving early to get organized and greet the students as they enter. If you arrive right on time, you are setting a bad example to the students, and will also be putting your supervising teacher in an awkward situation- wondering if you will be there and be prepared. Prepare a letter to introduce yourself to your students and parents in advance, if possible. Include your zeal and personal motivation for teaching, a few of your interests, and your educational background and goals for your student teaching experience. Limit it to the front of a page. Allow your supervising teacher to edit the letter before mailing it out. Contacting parents before they have a reason to contact you is critical to ensure a constructive relationship. Always err on the side of dressing too formally. Dressing too casually is unacceptable in the professional w orld, and you are now in it! Embrace your newest opportunity by dressing in business casual w ear. Especially for younger teachers, over-dressing may help set you apart and gain you respect from your students and colleagues. It is possible to be professional, comfortable and stylish at the same time. Get to know the office and custodial staff. If there is something that you need outside of the classroom, these w ill be the ones you are running to! Stop by and say Good morning on your

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/2

4/10/2011

Start Student Teaching Successfully!

w ay in. They w ill alert you of any happenings that day, and you will gain extra support that can come in handy some days. Share your interests and capitalize in the classroom by showing off your talents! If you are an artist, select a project where your students will be creating mathematical w orks of art. If you have a craft hobby, create a mathematical construction with your class. If you are a football player, have a discussion about the math and physics in your sport. Students w ill be more receptive to your teaching as you build relationships by sharing experiences and interests ultimately, allowing students to get to know you. They will be more apt to share in class dialogue if they feel comfortable talking and dont feel like you are judging their responses all the time. Invite the principal to watch a lesson that you are excited about. It would be great to have your supervising teacher AND your principals recommendation upon completion of student teaching; and inviting the principal not only show s your confidence, but also gives him or her something to talk about in your recommendation. Consider doing your first professional development activity with your supervising teacher. Besides attending those scheduled by your school or district, consider going to an NCTM conference to attend the New Teacher Strand, or sign up for an NCTM e-w orkshop or e-seminar targeted for other new and pre-service teachers. Be extremely careful when talking about students and teachers. You never know other peoples relationships to the students that you are working with. Its great to exchange stories about your first semester in the classroom, but be careful not to say anything negative. Even when talking about your experiences with your college professors, its still a good idea to leave the students names out of your conversation. Dont join in the gossip in the lounge, either. Although you may feel like it helps you bond with some teachers, you w ill be burning bridges with others. You will be respected by all if you just stay out of it. Send thank you letters to your supervising teacher, your principal, and anyone else that had an impact on your learning experience. It is important to continue the relationships as you continue through your teaching career. Having someone to ask a quick content or pedagogical question to and to share the stresses and successes of teaching is important. Friends in other businesses or industries will not value these as your "math teacher" friends w ill, so make the effort to keep them. Smile! This makes more of a difference than you can imagine. Smiles are contagious. Others w ill react to you in a more positive way if you appear friendly and approachable! This includes your students, other teachers, office staff, and even the principal. For more reading on being a successful beginning teacher, check out the Empowering the Beginning Teacher series or the Mathematics for Every Student publications for your gradeband: Elementary, Middle School, and High School.

Copyright 2011, National C ouncil of Te ache rs of Mathe m atics.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

2/2

3/14/2011

YOU have the power to motivate!

YOU have the power to motivate!

Don't beg, buy, or force. INVITE! Every day work to invite every student to join you in learning math. From the w ay you greet them w hen they enter the room, to taking the time to listen to them, to appreciating their insights and effort, to believing in their potential, you can invite students to be the most important part of the learning process. Find a copy of Inviting School Success by William Purkey. Believe in your students and foster a sense of ownership. It is important that you believe and that each student knows you believe they can be successful. When they are successful (and make sure every child feels success early) show that they are responsible for their ow n success. It is critical that students believe that failure results from a lack of effort and NOT a lack of aptitude. If you want your student to persevere in similar tasks in the future, the first step is getting your student to believe that with increased effort he or she CAN do it! Praise students in ways that reward effort, not ability. By praising students for effort, they realize that their concentration and dedication are valued. They will tend to sustain the motivation and perseverance necessary in fulfilling challenging tasks. Always listen and invite students to improve. It is easy for students to blame their failures on lack of ability, busy schedules, and so on, but the trick is getting them to believe that they are IN control of their outcomes. Instead of punishing them for failure, try a constructive conversation about how they could improve for next time. Work w ith them to create an action plan. Did they not allow for enough time? Allot time in a planner with them. Were they unclear on the directions? Encourage them to contact you before the due date to make sure they are on the right track next time. Model how you want your students to act. Its contagious! You are actually more motivated to succeed when you see someone else succeeding. Exhibit your personal excitement about your students, your job and w hat w e're learning. When you are challenged, value your mistakes as positive learning experiences.

Teach students to set goals. Especially as you introduce a new project or announce an upcoming exam, w ork with students to set realistic and measureable goals. A goal is a contract to oneself. Direct them to break up their ultimate goal into smaller steps, including specific times to get started. Make sure that the goals are challenging, yet attainable. Check in with your students often. It w ill help you informally assess them and also keep them on track. Feel free to modify this Goal Setting Handout.

Invite students to make the class their class. Encourage input and feedback often. As soon as they realize that you truly care about their input, they will respond by showing more concern to please you. Give them the freedom to choose the order that they complete assignments or chores, the freedom to choose an area of the classroom to work, or the freedom to select a research topic or project option. Encourage cooperation instead of competition. As educators, our main goal should be the process of learning, and not the outcome. To create cooperative learning arrangements, be sure that your activity values effort and not only ability. Monitor the groups to ensure that each member is accountable in the creation and the final product. Share this list of tips with parents. Motivation of children in school is most influenced by teachers and parents. Work together to raise motivated students! For additional resources on motivation, including research articles and classroom activities, ideas, and strategies, visit the Motivation Resource Page.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/2

4/10/2011

Before Your Students Arrive

Before Your Students Arrive

Current Collection of Tips Take an inventory of your math materials. Find out w hat mathematics resources you and your school have and make a list of what you might need. Sort through the manipulatives, calculators, that you have collected over the years. Organize your resource books by topic. Then create a prioritized list of the materials that you would like to purchase (or ask for funding for) this year to enhance your classroom instruction. Share your list of what you have and w ant with other teachers. You may find that they have things you are looking for or may have a w ay to pool resources to do more. A prioritized group list of materials that would help you teach is helpful to the administration if they have money that comes available. Create a classroom that engages you and your kids. Make your room a place that you like be in. Some suggestions include: Fill your classroom with examples of math in the real world. Dedicate a bulletin board to mathematics. Include a Problem of the Week. For ideas, look on the Lessons and Resources page on the web for the Calendar Problems from the journals for a steady source of rich problems. Illustrate a particular theme, such as Math in Nature: Mathematical Patterns in the World around Us. Create a mathematics center including puzzles, thinking games, and manipulatives that could be explored by students. Develop a plan to connect with parents. Providing parents with a welcome letter followed by monthly newsletters that include a brief overview of math topics their children will be learning about in the coming month. Get the welcome letter written up even before students come back to ensure it gets done. For the younger grades, a take-home manipulative of the month made out of sheets of craft foam or other inexpensive material could also be shared. Suggest activities for parents to do at home to reinforce the concepts and activities that the students are investigating in the classroom. See tips on Communicating with Parents. Know and Believe in All Your Students. Before school starts, find out w ho your students are. Do any of them have special needs and/or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that you should be aware of? What level of English development are the English Learners in the class? Do you have students that are identified as gifted and talented? Having more information about your students will help you better plan for their needs. On the other hand, make sure to give each student a clean slate if you hear about past performance or discipline problems. If you begin to have issues, focus on giving the student positive attention by assigning more responsibilities instead of negative attention by punishing him or her. Set up specific places for students to turn in work. Plastic stackable baskets with bold clear labels for each class period are an inexpensive yet organized solution. This stops students from tossing a paper onto my desk and having it sucked into the black hole, never to be seen again. Have a designated place for absent students to collect their work when they return to school. Each day before leaving school, take care of w ork for absentees. Look at the attendance and identify each student who w as not present in each class period. Put exactly what your class did that daywith any homew ork and handouts in a basket marked both with ABSENT WORK and the particular class period. This puts the primary responsibility on the student, who know s that he or she is expected to find the appropriate basket and act accordingly. It makes the teacher's life easier; if the question What did I miss yesterday? is asked, you can just point to the basket. Have a NO NAME folder. Inevitably students turn in work without their name. Later, when they note a missing assignment, you can ask: Did you check the No Name folder? It grabs students' attention to frequently hold up my red No Name folder with a declaration like, Mr. No Name has an A in math! Do you? Seek opportunities for professional growth before students come back. Set a goal to add at least one new book to your professional library, such as a mathematics dictionary that will assist you in your daily teaching. Consider taking a course or workshop online and looking for opportunities to attend professional development sessions offered within your school district or at a local university. You can also plan to attend a local, regional, or national conference. Ask your principal about getting a group together to participate in the Kicking off the School Year NCTM e-seminar together.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/2

4/10/2011

Before Your Students Arrive

Share your success. Everyone has a favorite mathematics lesson or research project. Share this lesson with teachers in your school that teach similar classes. By sharing lessons before the year starts, you w ill increase the number of engaging activities you have for your own classroom. Consider w riting up the lesson for a professional NCTM journal. Check out the writing opportunities on the web. Impress your colleagues, and display your students w ork. Investigate the option of an online grading program. If your district doesn't already use a grading program, see if they have considered getting one. Such systems make it possible to share grades and other information via the Internet w ith students and parents. This makes for fewer parent phone calls, few er students asking questions about their grades, less time spent preparing lists of missing assignments, and best of all, no last-minute panic at report card time. Parents and students appreciate having instant access to what is missing and what is due. But do not get behind on grading. You expect students to turn w ork in on time, so you too, should have the courtesy to assess and return that work promptly. You may even find yourself much more accountable when grades are posted for parents to view.

Copyright 2011, National C ouncil of Te ache rs of Mathe m atics.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

2/2

4/10/2011

The First Days of School and All Year

The First Days of School and All Year Long

Current Collection of Tips Become an advocate for mathematics. Celebrate the mathematics learning that is taking place in your school. Plan a school-wide math bulletin board, and display student work. Collaborate with other teachers so that each gets a turn. Share your experiences (math fairs or family nights, for example) with the local newspaper. Letting others know about your school may result in a tremendous boost to your schools mathematics program, and ultimately more funding as well. Take Notes. Make a place for yourself where you can jot down observations quickly throughout the day. Informal observations early in the year can be helpful further down the road if you have a student w ho may have a special need or is displaying behavior that continues to disrupt the class. Also, document what went w ell and what could use improvement each time you use a lesson, and more importantly, stay organized - so that you can find and consider the notes next time around! Date each observation. Use email for parent contacts whenever possible. This saves time and makes it easy to keep a paper trail. Parents appreciate the ease of contact. Talk to parents early onestablish a positive relationship before there are problems. Send them a positive email about something you notice about their student. Those positives are like money in the bank when you do encounter a discipline problem later in the year. And, from an organizational point of view , these upbeat notes encourage the practice of communicating by email. Keep seating charts handy. This w ill aid you in taking attendance in a split second as students are completing the class starter, a task w ritten on the board to get their minds into gear. It will be the secret to know ing everyones names instantly. The rosters can also be helpful for fire drills, and are invaluable for substitute teachers. Take a leadership role in mathematics by offering support. Start a professional reading group to discuss mathematics teaching and learning. Schedule a time (even lunch hour) once a month to meet with other math teachers in your school to share ideas and ask each other questions. Involving beginning teachers in a mathematics-related reading group w ould help everyone involved grow as a teacher. Involving veteran teachers will allow them fresh ideas and an opportunity to mentor. Consider using the series Empowering the Beginning Teacher of Mathematics for topic ideas for the meetings. Know your discipline/classroom management strategies. Take time to think about what is and is not acceptable in your classroom. What kinds of things are NOT okay? How are you going to handle them? Think about what kind of learning environment you would like to create for and with students. On the first day, work as a class to set expectations for behavior and w ork habits. Chart, model, practice, and reinforce behavior expectations. Keep it simple; having a long list of rules may be difficult to monitor and enforce. Ask the principal to purchase a NCTM school membership. The school membership includes a subscription to a journal, reduced registration fees for all teachers in the school at the annual meeting and regional conferences of NCTM, and 20 percent off NCTM educational materials and special products. This is a great w ay to strengthen the school mathematics program w ith access to high-quality educational materials and professional development opportunities. Make mathematics a priority within your classroom. Plan to integrate mathematics with other subject areas. An easy way to get started is to collect childrens literature that promotes mathematical concepts. The April 2005 focus issue of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School has several ideas that can be modified for use in the lower or higher grades. Connections can also be made to your science and social studies curriculum by analyzing data that can be extended into a real-life problem-solving situation. See the tips on Using Current Events and Real Data. Lastly, let go of the things that dont really matter. Be conscious of what you are spending your time on as a teacher. Step back regularly and decide w hat tasks are producing the least gains for your students and eliminate them in order to make time for more worthy tasks or, equally important, time for yourself!

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/2

4/10/2011

Differentiated Learning

Differentiated Learning
Current Collection of Tips

Get real. Its impossible to look at any classroom and pretend that all students are alike. Instead, focus on the differences that exist, value the diversity, and allow each student the opportunity to shine. Teachers should be open to different approaches and strategies as long as students are able to explain their reasoning. Students w ant the chance to be original, resourceful, or ingenuous.

Blend whole-class, group, and individual instruction. It is more effective and efficient to use different strategies in different situations. When using groups, rotate students based on demonstrated knowledge, interest, and/or learning style preferences with the aim of moving all students to a higher level of achievement. Use the groups to set up learning activities that: teach new concepts, apply concepts previously learned, and also revisit skills not mastered.

Be proactive. Embrace accountability. You as a teacher are responsible and obligated to plan a variety of ways to facilitate learning. Instruction may be differentiated in content, process, or product according to the students readiness, interests, or learning style. Students must be able to express themselves in w hat they learn, how they learn it, and how they demonstrate their understanding. As you progress as a great teacher, you will become more comfortable using multiple instructional strategies and a variety of representations at the same time to increase the chances of reaching all students.

Acknow ledge that students have different learning styles, learn at different speeds, are at different comfort levels of thinking abstractly, and differ in abilities to make connections. Offer choices and flexibility in the classroom. When appropriate, set up learning centers to provide choices. Make sure the centers include varied activities such as skill practice, problem solving, manipulatives, games, working w ith technology such as computers or calculators, graphs and other visuals, and writing opportunities. This w ill provide for a more comfortable, engaging, and inviting learning environment for students w ith different levels of understanding and different interests.

Never separate assessment from instruction; rather integrate assessment into instruction by making informal assessments a way of life in your classroom. In the classroom, focus on qualitative assessment more than quantitative assessment. It is imperative to get to know each students achievement levels and strengths and weaknesses. Pre-assessment is a critical first step that should be used before designing any lesson. Dont assume what your students know or dont know ; find out!

Get to know your students! Outside of the classroom, keep up on your students interests. Try to find time to make a basketball game or a theatre production to show that you are interested in them outside of mathematics class. In the classroom, use personal interest inventories regularly. Once you know your students interests, you will be able to better create assignments that fit your students interests. Students will be more engaged in the learning if they feel it was developed around their interests.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

Use a variety of forms of assessment: formal tests, homework assignments, journals, discussions, and presentations. Equally important is that you follow through; use the results of assessments to continuously plan lessons on skills that are not yet mastered by your students

1/3

4/10/2011

assessments to continuously plan lessons on skills that are not yet mastered by your students.

Differentiated Learning

Reflect on lessons, projects, evaluations, and everything else that goes on in your classroom. Focus on how you could modify lessons to better fit the students needs and interests.

Focus on the students! It may be easier for you to lecture and assign drill and practice, but remember that your ultimate goal is to be in the best interest of your students learning. Use more inquiry-based teaching practices and investigations.

Realize that teaching is evolutionary. Great teaching doesnt happen overnight. It takes patience and consistent dedication. Focus on becoming comfortable differentiating one new lesson at a time. Your plan must include more than the content. You also will need a plan for managing time and keeping students focused. You may w orry about disruptions, but in a collaborative learning environment, students will be more engaged and disruptions may decrease. Students are unique, so the same approaches arent going to work year to year or even day to day. As teachers, we must monitor each learner, their learning, and make continuous adjustments.

Take the time to briefly pre-teach or even re-teach to meet the needs of students before introducing new content goals. Use heterogeneous groups to facilitate a tutoring and mentoring relationship between students, but be careful not to overuse this strategy. Hold students accountable for their own learning. The more skilled students deepen their understanding by articulating concepts, and the less skilled have a chance to learn ideas from a different source. Sometimes a peers words are easier to internalize and may be less intimidating than working one-on-one with the teacher.

When differentiating your classroom, dont leave out the gifted students. Be cautious that you are assigning open-ended rich inquiry activities instead of more work or always using peertutoring and mentoring relationships. Differentiating should allow ALL students to be enriched. Differentiating is NOT adjusting the workload assigned based on ability levels or grading differently based on perceptions of students capabilities.

Arrange your classroom in clusters to promote mathematical literacy. Get your students comfortable with the norms associated with collaborative learning; its a necessary prerequisite to differentiated instruction, and it also creates more opportunities for interaction. Imagine a teacher in a classroom of 32 students. In a 50 minute class period, she cant dedicate even two minutes to a student individually, but in groups of 4, she could dedicate more than 6 minutes to a group. Additionally, w hen w orking with one group, the other groups would be on task communicating and making progress.

Visit the NCTM Bookstore for Good Questions: Great Ways to Differentiate Mathematics Instruction. To help K8 teachers differentiate math instruction with less difficulty and greater success, this resource: Underscores the rationale for differentiating math instruction. Describes two universal, easy-to-implement strategies designed to overcome the problems that teachers encounter. Offers almost 300 questions and tasks that teachers and coaches can adopt immediately, adapt, or use as models to create their own. Includes Teaching Tips sidebars and an organizing template at the end of each chapter to help readers build new tasks and open questions. Shows how to create a more inclusive classroom learning community with mathematical talk that engages participants from all levels

For additional resources on differentiated learning, including articles, visit the Differentiated Instruction Resource Page.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

2/3

4/10/2011

Homework

Homework
NCTMs Tips for Teachers Only assign whats necessary to augment instruction. If you can get sufficient information by assigning only five problems, then dont assign fifty. Focus on practice and review. Give students a chance to try new material, further practice skills they have recently learned, and review something they already know. Take students age into consideration w hen determining the amount of homework to assign. Recommendations from Helping Your Students With Homew ork: A Guide for Teachers, published by the U.S. Department of Education, lists the following: Grades Grades Grades Grades 1-3: up to 20 minutes a night 4-6: 20-40 minutes a night 7-9: up to 2 hours a night 10-12: 1- 2 hours per night

Remember, this is a cumulative amount. If you are only one of five teachers assigning homework, you should adjust accordingly. Share a list of homework rules before handing out the first assignment. A written explanation of expectations will increase the likelihood that assignments are completed. Let students know that homework is important, and that not doing an assignment will have consequences, which may include lower grades. Let students know ahead of time when homework will be assigned. Some teachers alw ays assign homework on specific nightsevery Tuesday and Thursday, for example. This lets students and parents know when to expect homework. Designate a Homework Collector. Assign a student to gather the papers at the start of class while you take roll or attend to other administrative tasks. Have a weekly prize drawing. Students get a ticket for each homework assignment they complete, and at the end of the week, a winner is randomly chosen. (Plus, this activity can serve as the motivation for a probability lesson!) Employ a While You Were Out form for students to fill out indicating any class periods they missed. (Leave blank copies of this form in a location accessible to students.) When students return these forms, fill out the form indicating the class work, homework, or tests that students missed, and return the forms to students. When students complete the make-up work, they should attach the form. Having a system for missed w ork w ill help you with organization, and it will reduce the number of last-minute assignments turned in at report-card time. Give constructive feedback. Students are more apt to complete assignments and advance their learning when they get consistent and constructive feedback. Make an effort to provide written comments on student w ork that lets them know what they did w ell and what they need to improve.

Copyright 2011, National C ouncil of Te ache rs of Mathe m atics.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/1

4/10/2011

Grading

Grading
NCTMs Tips for Teachers Use rubrics. Conduct a class discussion in which students develop a rubric to be used for scoring performance tasks. This allows students to gain an understanding of expectations for solutions to multi-step problems. Use notebook/homework quizzes as a way to easily assess if students are doing their homework. Provide students w ith a list of 10 homework problems to copy from their notebook (no textbooks) and you grade these problems. This also allows student more time to do homework if they get something they dont understand. Create macros in a spreadsheet to make grading easier. See our example. Avoid all-or-nothing grading schemes. Insist on fully detailed explanations whenever your students solve problems, and reward reasonable efforts with partial credit. This encourages students to value the process of solving a problem as much as the product of obtaining a correct answ er. Uses pluses, not minuses. Use positively oriented credit accumulation; that is, use +2 out of 4 points rather than -2 out of 4 points. Test yourself. You should be able to complete a test in a quarter of the time that your students will have. Be careful of indiscriminate zeroes. Say a student averages 96 on five assignments. Then fails to turn in a sixth assignment and is given a zero her homework average plummets to 80. This makes a student who normally does A-level work look like a C student.

Copyright 2011, National C ouncil of Te ache rs of Mathe m atics.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/1

Exemplars Standards-Based Math Rubric*

Problem Solving Reasoning and Proof
Arguments are made with no mathematical basis. No correct reasoning nor justification for reasoning is present.

Communication
No awareness of audience or purpose is communicated. or Little or no communication of an approach is evident or Everyday, familiar language is used to communicate ideas.

Connections
No connections are made.

Representation
No attempt is made to construct mathematical representations.

Novice

No strategy is chosen, or a strategy is chosen that will not lead to a solution. Little or no evidence of engagement in the task present.

Apprentice

A partially correct strategy is chosen, or a correct strategy for only solving part of the task is chosen. Evidence of drawing on some previous knowledge is present, showing some relevant engagement in the task.

Arguments are made with some mathematical basis.

Some awareness of audience or purpose is communicated, and may take place in the form Some correct reasoning or justifica- of paraphrasing of the task. tion for reasoning is present with or trial and error, or unsystematic Some communication of an trying of several cases. approach is evident through verbal/written accounts and explanations, use of diagrams or objects, writing, and using mathematical symbols. or Some formal math language is used, and examples are provided to communicate ideas.

Some attempt to relate the task to other subjects or to own interests and experiences is made.

An attempt is made to construct mathematical representations to record and communicate problem solving.

*Based on revised NCTM standards.

2009, Exemplars

Exemplars Standards-Based Math Rubric (Cont.)*

Problem Solving Reasoning and Proof
Arguments are constructed with adequate mathematical basis. A systematic approach and/or justification of correct reasoning is present. This may lead to... clarification of the task. exploration of mathematical phenomenon. noting patterns, structures and regularities.

Communication
A sense of audience or purpose is communicated. and/or Communication of an approach is evident through a methodical, organized, coherent sequenced and labeled response. Formal math language is used throughout the solution to share and clarify ideas.

Connections

Representation

Practitioner

A correct strategy is chosen based on mathematical situation in the task. Planning or monitoring of strategy is evident. Evidence of solidifying prior knowledge and applying it to the problem solving situation is present. Note: The practitioner must achieve a correct answer.

Mathematical conAppropriate and acnections or observa- curate mathematical tions are recognized. representations are constructed and refined to solve problems or portray solutions.

Expert

An efficient strategy is chosen and progress towards a solution is evaluated. Adjustments in strategy, if necessary, are made along the way, and / or alternative strategies are considered. Evidence of analyzing the situation in mathematical terms, and extending prior knowledge is present. Note: The expert must achieve a correct answer.

Deductive arguments are used to A sense of audience and purjustify decisions and may result pose is communicated. in formal proofs. and/or Communication at the PracEvidence is used to justify and titioner level is achieved, and support decisions made and communication of argument conclusions reached. This may is supported by mathematilead to... cal properties. testing and accepting or rejecting of a hypothesis or conjec- Precise math language and ture. symbolic notation are used explanation of phenomenon. to consolidate math thinking generalizing and extending and to communicate ideas. the solution to other cases.

Mathematical connections or observations are used to extend the solution.

Abstract or symbolic mathematical representations are constructed to analyze relationships, extend thinking, and clarify or interpret phenomenon.

*Based on revised NCTM standards.

2009, Exemplars

Classic Exemplars Rubric

Level Novice Understanding
There is no solution, or the solution has no relationship to the task. Inappropriate concepts are applied and/or procedures are used. The solution addresses none of the mathematical components presented in the task.

Strategies, Reasoning, Procedures

No evidence of a strategy or procedure, or uses a strategy that does not help solve the problem. No evidence of mathematical reasoning. There were so many errors in mathematical procedures that the problem could not be solved.

Communication
There is no explanation of the solution, the explanation cannot be understood or it is unrelated to the problem. There is no use or inappropriate use of mathematical representations (e.g. figures diagrams, graphs, tables, etc.). There is no use, or mostly inappropriate use, of mathematical terminology and notation. There is an incomplete explanation; it may not be clearly presented. There is some use of appropriate mathematical representation. There is some use of mathematical terminology and notation appropriate of the problem.

Apprentice The solution is not complete

indicating that parts of the problem are not understood. The solution addresses some, but not all of the mathematical components presented in the task.

Uses a strategy that is partially useful, leading some way toward a solution, but not to a full solution of the problem. Some evidence of mathematical reasoning. Could not completely carry out mathematical procedures. Some parts may be correct, but a correct answer is not achieved. Uses a strategy that leads to a solution of the problem. Uses effective mathematical reasoning. Mathematical procedures used. All parts are correct and a correct answer is achieved. Uses a very efficient and sophisticated strategy leading directly to a solution. Employs refined and complex reasoning. Applies procedures accurately to correctly solve the problem and verify the results. Verifies solution and/or evaluates the reasonableness of the solution. Makes mathematically relevant observations and/or connections.

Practitioner The solution shows that the

Student has a broad understanding of the problem and the major concepts necessary for its solution. The solution addresses all of the mathematical components presented in the task. The solution shows a deep understanding of the problem including the ability to identify the appropriate mathematical concepts and the information necessary for its solution. The solution completely addresses all mathematical components presented in the task. The solution puts to use the underlying mathematical concepts upon which the task is designed.

There is a clear explanation. There is appropriate use of accurate mathematical representation. There is effective use of mathematical terminology and notation.

Expert

There is a clear, effective explanation detailing how the problem is solved. All of the steps are included so that the reader does not need to infer how and why decisions were made. Mathematical representation is actively used as a means of communicating ideas related to the solution of the problem. There is precise and appropriate use of mathematical terminology and notation

Exemplars, 2006

4/10/2011

Testing

Testing
NCTMs Tips for Teachers Write the test first. Your lessons and activities should directly relate to how you assess your students. Start out a new unit or chapter by writing a test that covers what you think are the main topics, and coordinate your lessons based on the test. This way, your assessment will help shape how the topics are covered, and your students may more easily see how the lessons, activities, and test are related. Review from the start. Provide review exercises every day to discourage cramming. Use w armups to tie together topics day-to-day and to review topics covered last week that w ill appear on an upcoming test. These review exercises will show you on which topics students may need extra instruction. Try a partner test. Divide the class into pairs, and give each partner a different version of the test. Tell your students that you will only grade one test from each pair, but dont tell them which test it w ill be. This will allow your students to talk and debate math, facilitating learning. Try a take-home test. This will allow you to challenge your students with questions that would be too difficult to answ er w ith classroom time limitations. Encourage students to work together on solutions outside of class. Give em a snack! Hungry students will focus on their empty stomachs and not the test in front of them. Even if you have a no food policy in your classroom, consider allowing quiet, quality snacks on test days, or provide them yourself. Your students will appreciate the gesture and might just do better on the test, too! Give every student a fair chance. All students deserve to take tests in a quiet, supportive atmosphere. All it takes is one disruptive student to deny them that right. Have a variety of quiet activities for early finishers to work on, and alw ays discourage talking of any sort until all tests are handed in. Have students write the test. To review for a test, have small groups create sample tests w ith answ ers. You can use some of their questions on your test. Write helpful hints on the board. These suggestions apply to every test your students will take. Remind them before each test to: Read the directions first! If you dont understand the directions, ask questions. You have to know w hat is expected of you before you can perform. Maximize your points. Skip problems that seem time-consuming or difficult, and go back to them once youve done everything else. Check your work, then turn it in. Always go over your test to fix errors. Relax! You can do this!

Copyright 2011, National C ouncil of Te ache rs of Mathe m atics.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/1

4/10/2011

Reflection Improves Instruction

Reflection Improves Instruction

Use reflection as a learning opportunity. Defuse potentially harmful moments by having students reflect on their unacceptable behavior. This forces students to think about the situation and come to terms with w hy their actions were inappropriate. True interest in students' personal development will result in more respect and interest from students. Write out your reflections for each lesson. Before a lesson, identify one or tw o aspects to consider. After the lesson, ask yourself what you did well and what could be improved. Keep your reflections organized by storing the lessons and reflections together. This may mean keeping files in your computer in the same folder as the lesson files or keeping a journal. Make sure you look back at your reflections and make the necessary improvements before teaching the same lesson, project, or unit the next time around. Reflect on student learning. Develop a system to reflect on w hat each student is learning. Try to determine what the student truly comprehends. What do their eyes tell you? Ask questions that require critical thinking such as What is the most important part of this topic? There may not be a right or wrong answ er; how ever, you w ill be able to judge the extent of their understanding. Remember, it's better to have students struggling and engaged in the material than have students completely removed from the lesson.

Reflect with others. Schedule informal meetings and visits with other teachers w ho teach similar content. Learn what others think you are doing w ell and how you can improve. Reflect together about what w orks when teaching difficult concepts. Your students all have unique learning styles; learning a variety of teaching methods is beneficial in reaching ALL students. Create activities that allow students to reflect on their own learning. Ask all students to w rite short summaries that reflect on the "big idea." It will help them communicate their ideas more effectively and allow them to self-evaluate their progress. You will also benefit by assessing understanding outside of computational fluency. Ask for students to reflect on the class. Learn w hen your students are most engaged and how you can better serve them. This should be part of a regular routine, especially w hen starting a new grading period. It may be awkward for students to give constructive criticism, so be conscious to ask the questions in a way that will yield useful feedback. Set up a feedback box so that students can submit anonymous feedback. Consider their needs and make changes accordingly, and you w ill earn their appreciation and respect. They will w ork harder for you as you become a more effective teacher! Incorporate technology into the idea of reflection. Your students may be already spending time in cyberspace, so take advantage of their interests and skills by asking them to blog about their mathematical ideas. One idea is to have them post an initial response to a discussion question and require them to also reflect on two other students posts. For additional resources on reflection, including professional development, research articles and classroom ideas, visit the Reflection Resource Page.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/2

4/10/2011

Communicating with Parents

Communicating with Parents

NCTMs Tips for Teachers Make the first step positive. Take note of something positive about each of your students w ithin the first w eek of school. Then, call their parents and say, Hi! Im Mr./Mrs. _____, your childs teacher. Your son/daughter did _ (insert good thing here)_ in class today, and I wanted you to know . Follow up by telling them how to reach you if they ever have questions, and that you look forward to meeting them and working together to help their child succeed. Give parents your school phone number rather than your home phone number. Create a separate e-mail account (Yahoo, Hotmail, and others allow you to do this for free) for use w ith school-related business. An address like MrsSmithAlgebra@yahoo.com will make the address easy for parents to remember and for you to separate school and other e-mail. E-mail students grades weekly to their parents, and maintain a w eb page filled with information for both parents and students. Have parents e-mail you. Assign students homew ork to have their parent/guardian fill out an information form asking for contact information including an e-mail address. Aw ard a bonus point if they also send you an e-mail with their child's name and class period in the subject linethen you can just move the reply to the appropriate folder in your e-mail program. Send a postcard. Have the students create their own mathematical collage postcard on a note card (if you put two cards together with the collage facing out, it runs through the laminator and comes out nicely). Then send it home w ith a positive comment on it sometime during the year. Send a parent newsletter or e-newsletter to communicate the mathematical goals that you have set for students and the ways in which you are helping students reach those goals. Host a family math night. Create an opportunity for students to shine and parents to share in the mathematical experiences that their children are receiving in your classroom. Recruit parent volunteers to serve as tutors, guest speakers, and general classroom helpers.

Copyright 2011, National C ouncil of Te ache rs of Mathe m atics.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/1

4/10/2011

Tips for Tutors

Tips for Tutors

Successful tutoring, like teaching, is not an exact science; it is based on thorough planning and good communication between student and tutor. With continued effort by both, little daily frustrations are usually outweighed by noticeable growth in the students mathematical competencies. The following tips are from Guidelines for the Tutor of Mathematics, 2nd Edition. Summary Checklist Planning and Conducting the Early Sessions 1. Arrange a conference with the students instructor to determine objectives for the student to master. 2. Find a quiet place where you will have room to work and w ill be comfortable talking to the student. 3. Learn why the student sought a tutor. 4. Get acquainted with the students interests. 5. Diagnose the students difficulties. 6. Develop a positive atmosphere with the student. Planning for the Session 1. Determine objectives for the session that are based on the students progress and the instructors guidelines. Refer to your tutoring log. 2. Review the objectives you plan to teach. 3. Consult the instructor to locate resource materials and supplemental exercises. 4. Construct a review activity to check on objectives that have been previously taught. 5. Construct an instructional lesson for the objective(s) on the basis of suggestions from the resource material and the instructor. 6. Construct an appropriate, well-selected set of exercises for the student to complete prior to the next tutoring session. 7. Arrange for a tutoring locationone without distractions. Conducting the Session 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Be prompt. Develop a positive atmosphere. Sit beside the student. Start with a review of the objectives previously taught. Discuss the objective(s) for the session w ith the student. Briefly explain the new process to be introduced. Involve the student as soon as possible. When checking work, let the student make the corrections with your guidance. Avoid picking up the pencil unnecessarily. Listen carefully to the students explanations and responses. Keep your student informed about his or her progress during the session. Assign an appropriate set of exercises for the student to complete prior to the next tutoring session. End the tutoring session on a positive notea successful experience.

Following Up on the Session 1. Reflect on the tutoring session by asking yourself questions about the students progress and your reactions to the student. 2. Enter information on your students progress and learning difficulties in your tutoring log. 3. Report progress and evaluation to the students instructor. From Guidelines for the Tutor of Mathematics, 2nd Edition. Copyright 1977, 2001 The National Council of Teacher of Mathematics, Inc. ww w.nctm.org. All rights reserved. This material may not be distributed electronically without w ritten permission from NCTM.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

1/2

4/10/2011

Tips for Tutors

Copyright 2011, National C ouncil of Te ache rs of Mathe m atics.

www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx

2/2