Wrongful Punishment was the Best Thing
When I was in 1st grade I suffered punished from a wrongful accusation, well, kind of. And the punishment would land people in jail today. In front of the entire 1st grade class I was spanked, but not spontaneously. I was paraded to the front of the room and quite a spectacle was made of … Read more
Sets of Numbers and the Problem with Zero Chapter 1 – Section 1
1.1 3 Sets of Numbers and the Problem with Zero and Division We will begin with the various types of numbers called Real Numbers. Together, these numbers can be ordered and create a solid line, without gaps. Ø Natural Numbers: These are counting numbers, the smallest of which is 1. There is not a largest … Read more
Exponents v Rational Expressions: The Most Difficult Topic to Teach in Algebra 1?
There are many topics in math that are difficult for students to grasp because either the concept itself is elusive and maybe they don’t have the foundation required, or the procedures are complicated and riddled with traps. Algebraic Fractions or Rational Expressions, whichever name you prefer, is a great example of a topic that hits … Read more
The Case Against Point-Slope Formula
One of the biggest problems in public education, math in particular, is answer-getting. And this is endemic, not the fault of students, teachers or administrators, legislators or parents … alone. Students seek answer-getting methods and are rewarded for finding answers. Teachers are given massive amount of curriculum to be covered in a year while at … Read more
How to Make Formative Assessments Powerful Learning Tools
How To Make Formative Assessments Powerful Learning Tools I’d like to share with you one way to get students to engage in metacognition. But before I do, let me explain why I believe this is one of the most powerful learning experiences a student can experience. It is my opinion that if a formative assessment … Read more
Success Develops Confidence
Education isn’t really about the subject being learned, or the specifics of the topic being practiced. No, education is about changing who we are for the better by learning how to get more out of ourselves. An education should change you, change you think, how you see the world and it should change how you … Read more
Wednesday’s Why
There are many things in math that are just memorized, with little or no understanding of the meaning behind the scenes. To help promote greater understanding, promote recall and accuracy, but most importantly, to empower people to be able to glean this deeper understanding behind the math by learning how to read the math, I … Read more
Summer School
I am teaching Algebra 1 for summer school this year, finally. I’ve been teaching Geometry during summer school for a number of years, but prefer to teach Algebra 1. …but … I’m taking a big risk in summer school this year. Yup. And there will be consequences if I fail. But before I explain those … Read more
How to Save Time Grading
How to Grade Efficiently and Promote Assignment Completion Grading papers is one of the most time-consuming responsibilities of teaching. Hours upon hours can be, I argue, wasted, pouring over daily homework assignments. This article will discuss how to integrate awarding credit for daily assignments in a way that saves hours of time while … Read more
How to Study!
Can you think of a thing that more often praised, promoted as virtuous and imperative to success, yet largely remains undefined than studying? Well, I have four easy steps you can follow to structure your studying and give you great use of your time and will produce excellent outcomes both in the short term (for … Read more
