Second Year: Solar Daytime One

So, today was the 4th twenty-four hours of school.  And, I nonetheless haven't fifty-fifty blogged well-nigh the starting fourth dimension day.  Or the second.  Or the third.  Or today.  How tin I already endure in addition to thus behind on blogging this early on inwards the schoolhouse year?  This is non a skilful sign, people.

I exercise believe that twenty-four hours ane of twelvemonth 2 was a success!  Last year, I was a stressed-out mess on the starting fourth dimension twenty-four hours of school.  I had no clue what I was truly going to tell when I stood upward inwards front end of my students for the starting fourth dimension time.  I had educatee taught, but my cooperating instructor had ever been the ane to innovate me in addition to relaxation me into things. I was completely on my own, in addition to that was a terrifying thought.

Welcome Back Poster Made yesteryear My Student Council Kids
This morning, I tried to retrieve what I said to my students concluding twelvemonth on the starting fourth dimension day.  I don't retrieve just what I said, but I exercise retrieve that I did a lot of talking.  Then, I had students alter their schedules, motility in, etc., in addition to I ended upward proverb all that materials over in addition to over ane time again for the side yesteryear side few days.

Another Welcome Poster
This year, I wanted to exercise something different.  Instead of spending the starting fourth dimension menstruum talking, I wanted to acquire my students engaged inwards doing something mathematical.  When my students await dorsum over their starting fourth dimension twenty-four hours of school, I desire my degree to stick out inwards their memories.  Yes, the students who already knew me or knew of me gave me grief today for making them exercise operate because "nobody else is making us exercise operate today."  I only smiled in addition to gave them the "Seriously?  Don't you lot know yesteryear forthwith that you're going to exercise math every unmarried twenty-four hours inwards Ms. Hagan's class?" look.

Lockers, Ready To Meet Their New Owners
When the superintendent hired me, he advised me to non smiling until Christmas.  That is definitely non my style.  I've earned the reputation of beingness the fun math instructor who makes her students exercise a lot of work.  And, it's true.  We exercise accept a lot of fun.  Lots of laughter occurs within the 4 walls of my classroom.  We tell jokes.  We play games.  Students give me a difficult time, in addition to I give them a difficult fourth dimension inwards return.  At the same time, my degree is real serious when it comes to math.

This year, I am emphasizing occupation solving strategies in addition to cooperative learning inwards my classroom.  So, I chose activities for my classes to participate inwards that would ask or encourage them to operate inwards a group.

This summer, I went to a Pre-AP Mathematics workshop.  During the starting fourth dimension twenty-four hours of that workshop, I had the chance to operate through Five Easy Pieces which was designed yesteryear the Exeter Math Academy.  I brutal inwards honey amongst the activeness because it involves 3 of my favorite things--paper folding, algebra, in addition to logic puzzles!  
Five Easy Pieces 
Since this activeness requires students to manipulate variables in addition to write equations, I decided it would endure a perfect basic algebra review for my Algebra 2 students.  I met my students at the door amongst a stack of colored paper.  Each educatee chose a color of newspaper in addition to entered the room to notice a welcome sign on the Smart board that instructed them to sit down wherever they chose.

Five Easy Pieces
After the bell rang to start class, I passed out the instructions to Five Easy Pieces without whatever explanation or guidance.  (Well, I did accept to tell them where the pair of scissors were...)  There were groans in addition to complaints.  That didn't truly surprise me, though.

One matter I learned from this activeness is that my Algebra 2 grouping this twelvemonth is made upward of students of varying abilities.  Last year, I had 12 Algebra 2 students.  This year, I accept almost 40.  More students are taking Algebra 2, in addition to that is a real skilful thing!  Many of my students accept a real weak Algebra 1 foundation, but I think that amongst a lot of difficult work, they volition endure able to endure successful.  

Some groups finished the entire activeness inwards twenty-five minutes.  Other groups struggled to acquire the pieces cutting out in addition to tabular array of equations written inwards l minutes.  Some groups were willing to seek the logic puzzles.  Others gave upward every bit presently every bit they saw the logic puzzles.  I'm thankful for the insight provided yesteryear this activity, in addition to I think it's definitely a keeper!  

With my Algebra 1 kiddos, nosotros played the game 31-derful.  One matter I'm going to definitely accept to operate on amongst my Algebra 1 students is listening in addition to next directions.  When I explained the rules to the game (which was made much easier amongst Sarah Rubin's peachy graphics!) many of my students did non heed good or stopped listening afterward they idea they knew how the game went.  As a result, many of my students idea that solely the rows had to add together upward to 31.  They were a lilliputian made afterward discovering that they weren't truly done amongst the puzzle because their columns did non add together upward to 31 every bit well.  

31-derful
I was disappointed amongst how my students did amongst this activity.  In my 3 Algebra 1 classes, solely ane grouping of students was able to successfully consummate the puzzle.  A lot of my students decided that this puzzle was impossible.  They were quick to grow frustrated in addition to give up.  We're definitely going to accept to operate on persevering inwards occupation solving this year!

31-derful
I did acquire a real of import lesson on this starting fourth dimension twenty-four hours of school.  They brand exceptional decks of cards to play pinochle.  If you lot unintentionally give a grouping of students a deck of pinochle cards to play 31-derful with, they volition acquire extremely frustrated.  You volition wonder why they are solely using 9s, 10s, Jacks, Queens, Kings, in addition to Aces to construct their array of cards.  They volition endure wondering why those are they solely cards you lot gave them.  Eventually, you lot volition await at the box of cards in addition to run across that it is a pinochle deck.  You volition google pinochle in addition to acquire that a pinochle deck consists of 8 each of the inwards a higher house cards.

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