Excited about tomorrow

Tomorrow we will be graphing quadratics. First, they will factor to find the x-intercepts. Next, we will be practice finding the vertex. The final round will require students to graph the vertex and 2 points to the left and right of the vertex.   This one may be tricky, but the goal is to simultaneously have students graph out 2 different equations causing the relay to become interesting. I may go back to the fly swatter if it becomes too hectic. Also, I am keeping this short because I have been baking for them post parent teacher conferences. Good night. 

Factoring: The magic method

I typically teach the box method when factoring. You can find the link for the box resource here. But this year, I was introduced to what I call the magic method. First, I would like to state how peeved I am that I did not documents this method when I discovered it in high school. 

Follow this steps on the side and the scary, a does not equal 1, becomes simple again!  It is magic!  (At least that is what I tell my students).  Some still prefer the box, others prefer the gcf method using parentheses, but for most, this method stole the cake.

Quadrilaterals part 2 (Tons of links to amazing quadrilateral resources)

We just finished the quadrilateral unit and my student that rarely does anything made a 72!  Whoa!  I mean we cannot discuss the child's average, but let's just state that if grades were like golf scores, this kid would be killing it.  First, I started with the coloring quadrilateral notes from Math Giraffe.  Go sign-up as a follower on her site and you get the doodle notes for free!  Umm, yes please.  Site link here.


I also paid a few bucks for her coloring quads always, sometimes, never sheet.  Again, anytime that is coloring, my kids are down.  You can find the link to her store here.

We went on to a classifying activity and most of them knocked it out of the park.  I threw in a quiz that day on kahoot!  If you have never used Kahoot and you have wifi capable tools in your class, sign up!  The kids again, loved it!  This whole week was a success lesson wise, if only they were always like that.

Then, as a summary activity we did the bulletin board, found here.  I put the kids in groups with giant pieces of bulletin board paper and they worked in teams of 4 putting it together.  I made sure I checked it prior to gluing, but a few did it prior to me checking.  They only had a few errors, which show that the properties were mastered.  We finished up with Kahoot, once more checking to see if they could solve for the missing angle measure.





Study guide and test day were a breeze, thanks to all the wonderful resources available.

Exponent Rules and Naming Polynomials

I love teacherspayteachers. The graphic organizer from all things algebra is the bomb dot com. It was a great asset prior to playing algebra wars. I had a few errors like a missing negative sign, so that needs to be fixed prior to posting it.  I cut the foldable so the kids had their chart of squares that they need to remember on the side. If you are like my students and wonder why I skipped 14 squared, I told them I have rarely used it in higher math classes. Using this logic, I probably should have put 20 squared.

I play the video by the Ohio school of mathematical magic. Yes, that is not their name, but play one of their songs in class and BAM. Magic!  The kids are humming the tune down the hallway.

Students look like I have just taught them how to cheat when I show them how to put rational exponents in the calculator. But it gets students saying this is easy. 

I tell students that radical signs remind me of division symbols. We always divide the number "under the hat" (elementary term) by the number on the outside. This time we call it the index. The only thing I had to push hard was the square root is an exponent of 1/2. 

These types of questions pop up on the EOC every year. I see kids get overwhelmed by the equation prior to seeing that they can plug it in the calculator. Input major emphasis on these word problems. 

Colors are key to learning as visual learners. Tomorrow I will take care of my kinesthetic learners taking another example from Math = Love. 

Geometry basics (and a cute baby)

And I am back. After a baby that was suffering from an ear infection and then turned out to be allergic to amoxicillin, I can truly say I am glad to have time to blog again. So this post will have several goodies, just because it has been a while.

First, I have been searching through sites such as issuu and flipsnap in hopes to find a way to present my work in one cohesive document (and for cheap).  I found one site which I will share my review at the end of the year. This is only because you must upload everything at once, but it is free.  In the meantime, I am using google presentation to post my notebooks online for students who may have missed a day of notes.  It seems to have no limit and now parents/students have access to the notes from class!  Problem of the absent student is solved. 

Math Tech 3 is a geometry based course with a slower pace. So having a matching activity for the terms guarantees that they will make it to the notes, but as one student pointed out "it feels like a game."  To this I respond by shrugging shoulders nod asking, "Who knew, that definitions in class could be fun?"

 This foldable needs tweaking prior to me posting it. After 15 minutes of trying to keep the copier from shifting my pages, I was able to get the front and back aligned. 

As stated earlier, geometry at a slower pace. Don't worry, I will have them doing proofs, just in a disguised manner.

My posts for Algebra 1 will go up tomorrow. I just could not stand going without posting. 

First day of the new semester!

Thanks once again to Mrs. Hagan, I had a great worksheet to share with my students and fellow teachers on the beginning of the second semester of a year long course.  My kids said some of the sweetest things in their 6 word reflections.  You can find the sheet here.  When your students cannot think of a thing they would stop you from doing, (corny jokes included) you feel affirmed that you must be teaching in a way that engages students.  I was half expecting to see some "stop giving us homework almost every night", but those didn't even pop up.  The reflections that some students did were great.  I am putting them in a class time capsule and giving them back at the end of the semester to see if anything had indeed been kept, stopped, changed, or started.

My new resolutions are crazy big for just one year, so fingers crossed I will achieve them.  First, I am going back to grad school.  This time for a degree in education.  Second, blogging more.  This is the best way to reflect on what takes place in the classroom each day.  Third, more activities!

For those of you who may not know a new addition came to our household this past August.  Being out on maternity leave made coming back to kids that hardly knew me in the middle of a semester was hard.  But after doing my own version of the flyswatter game, another genius plan from Mrs. Hagan found here, I knew I needed to do more activities that I had essentially slacked on doing. 

We were even featured in the school newspaper!  I used the game to find the x- and y- intercept for the equations below.  Tomorrow I will share what else we did in class today, but it is time for me to pick up the babies for now.

Link here

Overwhelmed!

So I don't know what I was thinking other than I really wanted this degree, but what in the world told me to go for it now has me questioning my better judgment.  I just started my Master's in Education with a specialization in mathematics curriculum.  I would love to do what I blog about on a daily basis for others not just my class.  Between our beautiful and crazy children, the never ending demand of the classroom, and my attempts to continuously morph into a better teacher...my head is spinning.  I did not want to leave my blog untouched because I always have something that I have stumbled upon that is fabulous that I can't go without posting about.  So here is my new project of the future, mostly because I love math games and combined with a card game is even better!  I know that some of you have played Taboo before and today while surfing the lovely world of pinterest I ran across this blog...roots of the square.  You must check out these cards...awesome!  I can't wait to get these prepped for my class since I only teach half of algebra, but the excitement should help encourage me to squeeze this into my ever hectic schedule.  Please keep my sanity in your thoughts.