I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that summer is almost over! Last year I felt so much more prepared with my goals for the upcoming year. The only thing I wanted to do was to get my NJAsk scores higher. While they didn't reach the goal I hoped, both the 7th and 8th grade scores did go up by 58%! I'm pretty happy with that!
This year is scary, my principal left, along with 5 other teachers. I know that so much change in a school can be a bad thing. I am really hoping that we will get through it and have a good year despite the changes.
In addition to that, we are finally moving fully to common core and got new textbooks: Math in Focus-Singapore Math. For the past three years I haven't really used a textbook so this should be interesting.
My goals for this year are to incorporate the math workshop model into my lessons. I read this book because Sherrie at Middle School Math Rules! started a book study blog on it and I was hooked! I also took (am taking) the How To Learn Math course by Jo Boaler through Stanford University which is wonderful and the two just go together perfectly. Basically I want to get my kids working on more complex problems and discussing them more.
Over the past two years I've found myself trying to figure out why my kids can't retain what they learned. The book and the course talk about how when we try to teach kids to memorize procedures they will quickly forget it and we have to get them involved and really owning the math. This is my goal for this year.
I plan to forget about "the test" and get my kids to learn to think!
My other goal for the year is to blog more often and more mathematically. Most of the posts I made last year were not very productive and I need to change that!
I can't wait to hear what you think of Singapore Math. Love the way they teach things. Lots of change at your school. Our AP is now our principal and we have a new AP, and I also have a new ELA teacher. I also have a new (awesome) 7th grade math teacher. Lots of change for me too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherrie, training this week on Singapore I'll let you know how that goes!
DeleteHi-Love your blog! Thanks for sharing all your great ideas. How are you liking the Stanford class? I checked out the website via your link. Does it cost anything? There is no information on that anywhere to be found on their site! I hope they offer it again in the fall-looks like something I'd love to take!
ReplyDeleteI'm back to school tomorrow-we have a new principal this year too-our former principal retired after 15 years at our school! It's going to be very, very different! He was the only principal I worked under at this school.
Good luck with your year!
thanks Colleen! the Stanford class is great! its also free, so get on there and at least watch the videos!
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