Since today is August 17th, let's look at the seventeenth topic on Shelli's list:
17. How I used something unexpected in my classroom to…
Last year, I wrote that I unexpectedly used some old algebra tiles in my classroom to implement Sarah Carter's "Master Designer" opening activity. But I didn't do that activity this year. Instead I -- well, today, the 17th, is also my new monthly posting day for "A Day in the Life," so let's see how that goes:
8:30 -- First period arrives. This is a Math III class.
After yesterday's disaster, I completely reorder the lessons for today's class. Like yesterday, I started out with the Vanderwerf name tent prompt, "What do you look for in a teacher?" But then I jump directly into the Desmos classwork activity, for two reasons. The first is to reinforce that Desmos is classwork, hence a part of the classwork component of the grade. The second is that many MTBoS members who use Desmos in their classes use it to introduce a new topic, to get their students engaged. Thus it makes sense to have Desmos be as early in the period as possible. Here Desmos introduces students to the Quadratic Formula.
I let the students work on Desmos until music break. Last week, I wrote that most of my songs will be geared towards Math I rather than III, and one exception would be the Quadratic Formula song. What I didn't realize is that the formula would be taught early in the year (as it's technically a Math II topic), and so my very first song of the year in Math III is Quadratic Weasel. (A rendition of the well-known parody also appears in the Desmos lesson as well.) This will be one of the very few times that I will sing a different song in Math III than in I.
After music break, I jump into DeltaMath and start doing some questions from that lesson, which the students then copy into their interactive notebooks. So this is how I'll use INB's in a class where most of the assignments will be on Desmos or DeltaMath.
One thing that's tricky is going over the previous night's homework -- since DeltaMath almost always randomizes the questions, a student can't really ask me to go over the same problem. As it turns out, today I just barely have enough time to do four or five problems from DeltaMath.
As an Exit Pass, I ask the students to find the discriminant of x^2 + 5x + 2. The answer is 5^2 - 4(1)(2) or 17 -- and of course, today's date is the seventeenth.
9:55 -- First period leaves for nutrition, which leads directly into third period conference. Recall that at this school, four classes meet on each block day, tied to the day of the week -- on Wednesdays, periods 1, 3, 4, 6 are the classes that meet. I, along with most of the freshmen, are still getting used to it.
11:45 -- Fourth period arrives. This is the first of two Math I classes that meet today.
As it turns out, Math I has a Desmos lesson as well. But their Desmos is much simpler -- it simply consists of three multi-step linear equations for the students to solve.
So this time, I have the students copy the Desmos equations onto page 5 of their INB's. On the same page, I have them glue in a mnemonic that my next door neighbor teacher uses in her own Math I class -- "Don't Call Me After Midnight" (for Distribute, Combine terms, Move variables, Add/subtract, and Multiply/divide).
For this class, the song for music break is Square One TV's "Count on It." I almost always sing it as the first or second song of the year, to let kids know that they will have a mathematical future. Here are the lyrics and video of the song:
Count On It
Lead vocals by Larry Cedar
You can count on it
Sooner or later, those numbers cross your path
You can count on it
But let me tell you, math is here to stay
You can count on it, hoo, yeah
You can count on it
You can count on it
Everywhere you look, they’re even using fractions
You can count on it
They draw the line, and they’re running the store
You can count on it, hoo
Yeah, you can count on it
Look at how much; look where we are
Look at the gauge; look at the graph
Check out the numbers; you’ve got the last laugh
You can count on it, that’s right
Soon you’re gonna see that you couldn’t live without it
You can count on it, hoo
To make a pretty good mathematician
You can count on it, hoo, yeah
Yeah, you can count on it, whoo
Oh, you can count on it, whoo
Baby, you can count on it
After music break, I have the students prepare for their weekly Friday quiz. Like last year, I decided to use the VNPS method -- Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces. But while last year's desks had whiteboard surfaces, this year's don't. But there is a whiteboard on all four walls, so I divide the class into groups of four and have each group use part of the board as a VNPS.
As an Exit Pass, I ask the students to solve 2(3x - 1) = 100. The solution is x = 102/6 = 17 -- and of course, today's date is the seventeenth.
1:15 -- Fourth period leaves for lunch.
2:05 -- Sixth period arrives. This is the second of two Math I classes that meet today.
But one thing tricky about the block schedule is that while all classes meet on Mondays and Fridays, yesterday was 2-3-4-5 while today is 1-3-4-6. Thus today is the second block day for fourth period, but only the first block day for sixth period. Thus on Wednesday, I must get used to the fact that today's lesson matches yesterday's fourth period lesson, not today's.
So instead of page 5 of their INB's, these kids are still working on page 4. I have the students copy an equation that requires all five steps, and then I sing yesterday's "Solve 'Em" song. The rest of the time is spent copying equations from DeltaMath into their INB's. There is no Desmos lesson in this class, but I do give them the same Exit Pass (since I want the answer to be 17 today).
3:30 -- Sixth period leaves, thus ending my day of teaching.
Well, I did use something unexpected today -- two things in fact. I used INB's for taking notes even though most assignments are online, and I use VNPS even though my only whiteboards are on walls.
It is still the Willis unit. Classes are still in flux (with three new students in my sixth period), and so I'm still not ready to discuss the demographics of my classes.
By the way, tonight I'm going to watch the newest version of the game show Password. This version is hosted by Keke Palmer -- yes, as a young girl she played the title character in Akeelah and the Bee, one of my favorite movies (as I've mentioned before on the blog). It's nice to see her again -- going from a young girl playing a word whiz to a young woman playing a word game.
My next post will be this upcoming Tuesday.
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