An Algebraic Oath
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Activities,
algebra,
Algebra 2,
Algebra1,
classroom_culture,
Functions,
lessons
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I believe that my Algebra 2 teaching sense has made me a meliorate Algebra 1 teacher. I meet the misconceptions that my students motion into Algebra 2 with. And, I'm striving to clear upward every bit many of those misconceptions every bit possible amongst my electrical current grouping of Algebra 1 students.
During our get-go Algebra 2 unit of measurement on functions, my students select been evaluating a lot of functions. They fully sympathise the concept of substituting inwards the given value of the variable. However, together with hence many of my students exercise non identify the value inwards parentheses when they substitute it into the function. Most of the time, they all the same halt upward amongst the right answer. But, they ever halt upward missing problems such every bit uncovering f(-2) if f(x) = -x^2 - 2x + 4. When they substitute inwards the -2 without parentheses, many of my students' get-go instinct is to alter the 2 negative signs to a positive sign. This is bad. Very bad.
I don't know nearly you, but I select a terrible fourth dimension convincing students that the means they select been doing algebra for the by few years is wrong. I tin tell them it is wrong. I tin mitt dorsum their graded papers that are covered amongst ink. We tin review it every bit a class. But, for closed to reason, they look to right away melody me out every bit before long every bit they realize this is something they select already learned before, fifty-fifty though they did non larn it correctly inwards the get-go place.
This year, I decided that my Algebra 1 students were non going to follow inwards the footsteps of my electrical current Algebra 2 students. When my students evaluated expressions or functions, they were going to always, always, ever job parentheses. I asked myself, "How tin I attain this?" I idea nearly the means I commonly emphasize things inwards my classroom. I say them over together with over together with over. I write them inwards all caps amongst plenty of underlining on the Smart Board. I select my students write it inwards their notebooks. I repeat myself constantly.
That simply didn't look quite particular enough. Those methods are simply a normal twenty-four hours inwards my classroom. I emphasize a lot of stuff. So, how could I actually emphasize something? How could I learn similar a pirate? How could I give my students an sense instead of simply closed to other math lesson? The reply didn't come upward quickly.
In fact, it came every bit an epiphany nearly xv minutes earlier course of teaching was supposed to start. I wasn't going to simply tell my students that they should ever job parentheses when substituting values into an algebraic expression. No, my students were going to tell me that they would ever job parentheses when substituting values into an algebraic expression.
I speedily typed upward an oath: I, _______________________, exercise solemnly swear (or affirm) that I volition ever job parentheses when substituting values into an algebraic expression. To consummate the experience, I printed the oath on gray menu stock. I made lines for my students to sign together with date. When cutting out, the oaths would last conveniently wallet-sized together with hence students could last reminded of this oath forever. (Students who were uncomfortable amongst taking an oath or swearing were given the pick of affirming the controversy instead. By proverb that they affirmed the statement, they would last making an affirmation instead of an oath.)
I used all of my acting skills to actually play upward this oath. I told the students how serious of a affair this was. I passed out the cards amongst the oath printed on it. I asked students to read the oath to themselves together with meet if they had whatever questions nearly the commitment they were preparing to make. Next, I made my students stand upward up. I chastised them for non taking this sense seriously enough. I had them heighten their right hands. There were giggles together with smart comments. Again, I reminded students that this was a real serious matter. I told them that the fact that they were non taking this every bit seriously every bit they should last was "crushing my heart."
In unison, nosotros read the oath together every bit a class, together with nosotros signed our cards to commemorate the occasion. My students pointed out that at that topographic point should select been a identify on the menu for a witness to sign... Some of my students suggested that nosotros should select placed our hands on our interactive notebooks when nosotros took the oath. I heard several students say that they felt similar they had simply joined a gang. Apparently, they at nowadays await at me every bit their ringleader.
There were the students who idea the entire thing was stupid. They told me that they were going to convey their cards to graduation together with give the axe them inwards forepart of me. But, for the most part, I intend my students actually enjoyed it. I honey the fact that sometimes the only assist I select to give a pupil is to enquire them, "Remember the oath that y'all took?" One of my students, when he turned inwards his homework, said, "I intend I got all of my problems right because I remembered my oath."
I've uploaded a pdf version of the cards here, but I'm non only happy amongst it. I whipped upward these cards inwards less than 5 minutes, together with it definitely shows. But, I intend they served their purpose.
During our get-go Algebra 2 unit of measurement on functions, my students select been evaluating a lot of functions. They fully sympathise the concept of substituting inwards the given value of the variable. However, together with hence many of my students exercise non identify the value inwards parentheses when they substitute it into the function. Most of the time, they all the same halt upward amongst the right answer. But, they ever halt upward missing problems such every bit uncovering f(-2) if f(x) = -x^2 - 2x + 4. When they substitute inwards the -2 without parentheses, many of my students' get-go instinct is to alter the 2 negative signs to a positive sign. This is bad. Very bad.
I don't know nearly you, but I select a terrible fourth dimension convincing students that the means they select been doing algebra for the by few years is wrong. I tin tell them it is wrong. I tin mitt dorsum their graded papers that are covered amongst ink. We tin review it every bit a class. But, for closed to reason, they look to right away melody me out every bit before long every bit they realize this is something they select already learned before, fifty-fifty though they did non larn it correctly inwards the get-go place.
This year, I decided that my Algebra 1 students were non going to follow inwards the footsteps of my electrical current Algebra 2 students. When my students evaluated expressions or functions, they were going to always, always, ever job parentheses. I asked myself, "How tin I attain this?" I idea nearly the means I commonly emphasize things inwards my classroom. I say them over together with over together with over. I write them inwards all caps amongst plenty of underlining on the Smart Board. I select my students write it inwards their notebooks. I repeat myself constantly.
That simply didn't look quite particular enough. Those methods are simply a normal twenty-four hours inwards my classroom. I emphasize a lot of stuff. So, how could I actually emphasize something? How could I learn similar a pirate? How could I give my students an sense instead of simply closed to other math lesson? The reply didn't come upward quickly.
In fact, it came every bit an epiphany nearly xv minutes earlier course of teaching was supposed to start. I wasn't going to simply tell my students that they should ever job parentheses when substituting values into an algebraic expression. No, my students were going to tell me that they would ever job parentheses when substituting values into an algebraic expression.
I speedily typed upward an oath: I, _______________________, exercise solemnly swear (or affirm) that I volition ever job parentheses when substituting values into an algebraic expression. To consummate the experience, I printed the oath on gray menu stock. I made lines for my students to sign together with date. When cutting out, the oaths would last conveniently wallet-sized together with hence students could last reminded of this oath forever. (Students who were uncomfortable amongst taking an oath or swearing were given the pick of affirming the controversy instead. By proverb that they affirmed the statement, they would last making an affirmation instead of an oath.)
 |
| Algebraic Oath Card |
I used all of my acting skills to actually play upward this oath. I told the students how serious of a affair this was. I passed out the cards amongst the oath printed on it. I asked students to read the oath to themselves together with meet if they had whatever questions nearly the commitment they were preparing to make. Next, I made my students stand upward up. I chastised them for non taking this sense seriously enough. I had them heighten their right hands. There were giggles together with smart comments. Again, I reminded students that this was a real serious matter. I told them that the fact that they were non taking this every bit seriously every bit they should last was "crushing my heart."
In unison, nosotros read the oath together every bit a class, together with nosotros signed our cards to commemorate the occasion. My students pointed out that at that topographic point should select been a identify on the menu for a witness to sign... Some of my students suggested that nosotros should select placed our hands on our interactive notebooks when nosotros took the oath. I heard several students say that they felt similar they had simply joined a gang. Apparently, they at nowadays await at me every bit their ringleader.
There were the students who idea the entire thing was stupid. They told me that they were going to convey their cards to graduation together with give the axe them inwards forepart of me. But, for the most part, I intend my students actually enjoyed it. I honey the fact that sometimes the only assist I select to give a pupil is to enquire them, "Remember the oath that y'all took?" One of my students, when he turned inwards his homework, said, "I intend I got all of my problems right because I remembered my oath."
I've uploaded a pdf version of the cards here, but I'm non only happy amongst it. I whipped upward these cards inwards less than 5 minutes, together with it definitely shows. But, I intend they served their purpose.
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