Tessellations

I am teaching Algebra II, Geometry, and Transitions to College Math. I am enjoying the Transitions class a lot more because there is no pressure from EOC. We can take the time to explore concepts and use manipulatives. The students ask more questions and answer each other. We have time to learn more about the calulators. I am trying to find a way to upload the pictures and a video. Hopefully I will be able to do that soon. The students used polydrons, a math manipulative, to create their own tessellations earlier in the year, and ever so often, I log onto this blog and try to figure out a little bit more about it.

Something I learned by accident

One thing I want to do with my students is give them credit for what they know. Being a math teacher, I know that many students make mistakes and want to give them partial credit for procedural knowledge. With a multiple choice test, it is right or wrong - - they get credit or they don't. So with that rationale, I spent a couple of hours making out quiz for my four preps: Algebra II, Pre-AP Geometry, Transitions and Pre-AP Algebra II. Oh, and I was so proud --- I had made sure that the problems were like something we had gone over in class and my keys were precise with each and every step of each problem worked out perfectly.

I administered the quizzes to my six classes. That afternoon I proudly gathered the said quizzes and with great excitement, hurried home to grade 116 beautiful quizzes. At 9:30 p.m., after 3 hours of grading, I knew that I had again failed to consider the amount of time a particular task might require. I had a total of 12, yes, 12 quizzes graded! I was spending an average of 15 minutes on each student's quiz. Now, I didn't think that was much considering that the student's had spent about 45 minutes of their time on the quiz. It seemed to me that my students deserved 15 minutes of my time. However, 15 minutes per student adds up to 29 hours of grading papers! Good Grief! There was no way. So, what was I to do?

I had 3 more to grade in my 1st period class. So I did. After that, I typed up the quiz keys with the answers in red and the next day, I explained the dilemma to my students and asked them to help. I had them clear their desks and gave each of them a red pen and their own quiz. I explained to them that all I wanted them to write was an X on the number of the ones they missed and then write the corrections out to the side. That day was one of the best days this year. The students asked more involved questions; "Why?" and "What if . . . " questions and really thought about what they had done and what they should have done. It was amazing!

I have figured out a few things but now I am really concerned. I clicked on next blog and it went to something called Raw Image. Is that one of our MAT classmates? I really need a lot more direction everywhere I go, I find myself confused and overwhelmed!

My Overwhelming Experience

I am beyond overwhelmed! I feel like I will never catch up! I still have papers from the 2nd week of school to grade and record. I can just barely figure out what I am doing next period. Sometimes I feel like by the time I figure out what we need to do, the students are gone and a new set is sitting where they were! As a matter of fact, one day during Algebra II, I found myself walking around with the Teacher's Edition of Geometry! and answering their questions based on what I held in my hands! I got a few funny looks before I realized the problem!

I just got my edline account working, my teacher account that is, my children (Haylee and Hayden) would really like for me to get around to activating my parent account so they can see what is going on. But if their teachers are having the same kind of experience I am having then, it will do them no good for me to take the time to do it --- they, just like my students, will not find anything! I have to have ALL of my grades posted by Friday, syllabi for all four of the classes I teach by Thursday and I was supposed to turn in lesson plans for all four of the preps I have today. It didn't happen even though, I drove to Crossett and spent eight hours there on Monday and didn't leave Tuesday night until 8:30 p.m.

Now, aside from that, I love teaching ---- My students are awesome! I completely enjoy the classroom when I am not stressing over some deadline. I teach Algebra II, Pre-AP Geometry, Transitions to College Math and Pre-AP Algebra II. I started the year out with my desk in rows, but I so often wanted the students to be able to work together that I now have the desks in groups of four (two desks facing the other two). This is working great for daily class, but not so great when I suddenly find myself administering a "target test". I had no choice but to leave it alone and monitor the students, demanding silence during testing.

I just took my first notebook grades. Boy was that time consuming! As a matter of fact, I need to get back to that now. I still have about ten to grade and it takes ten to fifteen minutes each. After I finish that, I will address the syllabi and the lesson plans. Maybe this weekend, I can start reading some of the material for my MAT classes.

Thanks for letting me vent!