If you think back to your initial instruction regarding the metric system, you probably remember sitting in an elementary classroom, staring at a series of colorful posters on a wall. Each one denoted a different prefix used as metric units of measure magnified by powers of 10. Your teacher likely had you practice metric conversions
Gettin’ Triggy with It – Using Digital Interactives to Introduce Trigonometric Graphing
The concept of graphing trigonometric functions contains one of the biggest shifts in mathematical thought for students in secondary mathematics. Students have just been introduced to radian measure after years of working with degree measure. The unit circle is unveiled on the coordinate plane and students are taught that the coordinates of points along its circumference can be represented as
Using Graphs to Relate Two Quantities…and Create a Chorus of Laughter
One of my favorite lessons to teach middle school students is how to use a graph to relate two quantities. This is usually the first time students have created a graph from scratch to represent a real-life scenario. Many of them have prior experience creating graphs from other math classes, but my experience has been that
Let the Rhythm Move You — Using Music to Teach Proportional Reasoning
The concept of proportional reasoning is one of my all time favorites to teach. Teachers across the country approach the topic in different ways. Some use scale figures of photographs, maps, or animals while others discuss unit rates of movie tickets or grocery items. My approach to introducing the concept of proportionality is to use music.
Time to Reflect
As we come the end of another busy school year, educators across the country are beginning to reflect on their classroom practice. What worked well? Where do I need to improve? What activities can I tweak to make them more successful with students? How can I increase student engagement in activities? The reflective process is
Struggles with Static Math Examples
A recent article from Education Week highlighted a research project conducted by the National Research and Development Center on Cognition and Mathematics Instruction that is testing how to make paper-based textbooks more effective for students. Researchers are examining the effectiveness of “better text and illustration integration, use of sample problems, and homework and practice pacing”. One of the
Addressing Insecurity in the Advanced Classroom
Teaching advanced math classes is a blast. Students are generally more engaged in learning (i.e.. they do their homework!), contribute insightful ideas, and typically make classroom management a breeze. Teaching accelerated students can also present some challenges. One of my greatest struggles was getting advanced students to admit their misconceptions when they arose. Every student
Assessment Review with a Twist
It’s testing season once again – the time of year when teachers around the country begin to feel more and more like the purple minion from Despicable Me 2. Sometimes, you can’t help but feel the stress of hoping your students have retained all the information you’ve worked so hard to embed in their memories