Building Relationships

About a month ago, we were asked to list the students that we have great relationships with, those we are developing relationships with, and the students we are struggling to get along with. We then discussed ways to reach out to our students. One of the techniques that I have used in the last month is greeting kids as they come into my classroom and releasing them one by one at the end of class. This gives me a few seconds each day at the very least to focus on each person. I have also tried to have more of a presence by circling the room and checking in with students regardless of whether I think they are flying through an assignment without issue or completely lost. I fear at times that my high performing students get lost in the shuffle as I spend a majority of my time trying to reteach and encourage the students who are struggling in my class. I am also trying to be more aware of facial expressions and comments from people who do not typically reach out for help but still require a little bit of help. In regards to those that are acting up in my class, I continue to use the love and logic technique of offering choices. They are given two choices. If they are not able to correct their behavior with their original choice then they are given the other, usually less desirable, choice as a consequence. There have only been a few instances in which I have had to talk to the person again and explain that because they were not able to change their behavior with their chosen consequence they now have lost the privilege of choosing consequences in that instance and must submit to the other less desirable consequence. I have high hopes for the future.

Leaning Objectives--October make up session

I have to admit that in the past I have not been very consistent in clearly communicating learning objectives and performance outcomes to my students. In the last couple of months I have made it a priority to list my learning objectives on the board each day and have the kids read through each bulleted point at the beginning of the class. My follow through still needs work. Ideally, I would like to return to the list and have the kids explain the objective at the end of the class and rate themselves on how well they personally met the objective. More often than not I get caught up in the lesson and forget to provide the necessary closure on the lesson. Each day is a new opportunity to make things right and you can be sure that I will continue to try my best to clearly communicate my learning objectives at the beginning, middle, and end of each lesson.

Assessments

During the December session we spent a considerable amount of time discussing the uses and misuses of assessments. One practice that we use at our school is that of giving zeros for missing assignments. The article we read during this session seemed to suggest that this was a bad practice because students will simply decide not to make up the assignment because they already lost the points so what's the point in trying. What the article did not discuss was offering half credit for late assignments. This is our policy. A student is allowed to turn in an assignment up to a week late for half credit. I wonder if the same lack of motivation to turn in missing assignments exists if students have an opportunity to earn a few points rather then still receiving a zero regardless if the work is finished late or not.

What makes a lesson active and engaging?

Last night we discussed different ways to make our everyday lessons more engaging. We want active learners, not passive learners in our classrooms. One strategy we discussed at great length was the implementation of technology in the classroom. We were reminded that technology can be used in so many simple ways. For instance, in my classroom I post the homework solutions and my daily objectives on the Activboard. We are also learning how to use graphing calculators. Graphing a line on paper is good but comparing to something they created on their calculators adds more depth to the lesson and reaches different learners. In addition to the use of technology in the classroom we also discussed the need for breaks. Students can not sit and listen to a teacher lecture about a subject for very long before they begin to check out. Strategies like "Think, Pair, Share" are helpful because the require kids to work quietly for a little while and then they are given an opportunity to share their thoughts with another person. Activities that get kids up and moving around the room are also a vital part of an engaging lesson. At the end of our session, we were given a few minutes to look over a list of active learning strategies. One thing that I already use and plan to continue using in my class is journals. At the end of each lesson I ask the students to summarize what they learned that day and make a note of things they are still confused about. We will also continue to use the "Think Pair Share" strategy in class because I believe that if someone can explain their process for solving a problem to someone else then they have a deeper understanding of the subject and will retain the information longer. I may consider the use of the "Ticket to Leave" strategy in the future. This could be a fun alternative to the journal entry on occasion and would offer a quick, informal assessment for the day's lesson.

New Beginnings

It is crazy to think that we are already a couple of weeks into the school year. The last couple of weeks have flown by and I am left at the end of another week wondering where the time went. I feel like I am constantly playing catch up. No matter how hard I try to get ahead, things come up and plans change. By the end of the day my carefully laid plans to accomplish a, b, and c may or may not have fallen into place. Although this is not my first year of teaching, it is my first year as a middle school math teacher. As a result, I feel like I am starting from scratch. I am excited about the opportunity to make this course my own but feel slightly overwhelmed at times when I stop and think about all of the things I need to do in order to ensure that each day, week, and chapter will pass by smoothly. That said, one of my goals this year is to effectively plan ahead for future lessons so that I am not staying late each night or coming in before the sun rises every morning.
Along the same line, my goal is to have a life outside of school. I have a hard time checking out once in awhile and I need to remember to take care of my own physical and mental health. If I do not take control of my health then I will not be able to be there for my students during the day like they need me to be.
A third goal I have for this year is to practice effective communication skills. First, I would like to establish open lines of communication with my students. I want them to know that they can always come to me if they have a problem, even if it has nothing to do with the lesson we are studying in math. In an effort to forge relationships with my students I have made a commitment to attend their games and other events whenever I can. This also aides in creating and maintaining positive relationships with parents. The third group of people that I hope to foster positive relationships with is my coworkers. I am not an island and I can not do my job without their help nor can they do their job without my contributions to the team.
The fourth (and final goal for now) relates once again to my students. I love math and I hope that my excitement for math rubs off on my students this year. My goal is to make the material leap off the page and show them that math really can be quite exciting if you give it a chance. Students will not only learn the required material this year but they will also learn how this information applies to their real lives. Math is all around us and we would be lost with out it.
I am so excited for what the future holds. We are going to have a great year!!

A Brief History...

Welcome to Mrs. Teichman's Math Class! My name is Christine Teichman and I have the honor and privilege of teaching Pre-Algebra and Algebra I to 7th and 8th grade students. This will be my first year as a middle school teacher. I am so excited about this opportunity. It is definitely a dream come true. When I was in 8th grade I had a very inspirational math teacher who encouraged me to follow my heart and made me believe in myself. In 8th grade she recognized my passion for math and teaching and told me that someday I would make an excellent math teacher.

Now for a little background information... I grew up in Holland, MI about 15 minutes from beautiful Lake Michigan. As a kid, I spent a lot of time in or near the water. I love swimming, playing water polo, and skiing behind our family's boat. Skiing, to me, brings to mind pictures of warm, sunny days on the lake. In fact, I didn't own a pair of snow skis until last winter!! During my college years I had the honor and privilege of working at a camp for underprivileged, inner-city youth as a cabin counselor and later as the head lifeguard and waterfront director.

I love working with kids! In high school I had the opportunity to spend a couple of afternoons a week in a kindergarten classroom as part of the school's community service class. After graduation I obtained the necessary certification to become a substitute teacher's aide. By scheduling my classes in the evenings, I was able to work in classrooms during the school day on a regular basis. In addition to working with kindergartners, I have also taught 2nd and 3rd grade. Most recently I worked in the gym as a K-8 physical education teacher.

My husband and I moved to the Vail Valley in the summer of 2008. Although I really miss my family and the lakes back in MI, I have really fallen in love with the mountains! It is absolutely beautiful here! I love hiking and biking around the mountain but I would have to say that my favorite mountain activity is skiing. I learned how to ski last winter! Summer is still my favorite season of the year but ski season is now a close second!!