Re-Teach Idea

Re-Teaching Idea Background My Algebra 1 class has miserably failed to demonstrate minimal proficiency with the basic tenets of graphing linear equations.  The class average was under 50% on a very basic quiz, one whose questions were well covered during the week.  Further, during the week, not a single student reported difficulty with independent practice, … Read more

Influential Teachers

Influential Teachers Teaching was never on the radar for me.  I loathed school, and didn’t hold much respect for teachers, or the profession of teaching.  When I went to college, not much changed along those lines, at first.  Now, I’m so passionate about the profession that I’m devoting a lot of my time and resources … Read more

Teaching Square Roots Conceptually

Teaching Square Roots Conceptually   teaching square roots How to Teach Square Roots Conceptually If you have taught for any length of time, you’ll surely have seen one of these two things below. 24−−√=62–√   or     4–√=2–√24=62   or     4=2 MathType@MTEF@5@5@+=feaagKart1ev2aqatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLnhiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq=Jc9vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0=yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr=xfr=xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaaOaaaeaacaaIYaGaaGinaaWcbeaakiabg2da9iaaiAdadaGcaaqaaiaaikdaaSqabaGccaqGGaGaaeiiaiaabccacaqGVbGaaeOCaiaabccacaaMc8UaaGPaVlaaykW7caaMc8+aaOaaaeaacaaI0aaaleqaaOGaeyypa0ZaaOaaaeaacaaIYaaaleqaaaaa@479C@  Sure, this can be corrected procedurally.  But, over time, they’ll forget the procedure and revert back to following whatever misconception … Read more

This

Let’s talk about THE question in a teacher’s life … the baleful, “When am I going to use this in my real life?” Yeah, that one. The honest answer is probably, never… and they know it.  Why else ask, if not to subvert and diminish your role and purpose?  They don’t really want an answer.  … Read more

Thoughts on Teaching

Foundation 1. The goal: If the question, “When am I going to use this in my real life,” derails your class, there’s a problem with your purpose and goal. The truth is, almost nothing after taught 5th grade is knowledge used daily. The purpose of education is not to teach MLA formatting or how to … Read more

#REDforED – Arizona’s Working Poor – Arizona Educators United

In the year 2000, Arizona voters said that education was important the sustainability of Arizona’s economy and society.  They voted in Prop 301 which promised to keep teacher salaries competitive by providing cost of living increases and performance pay, among other things.  The state legislature has failed to exact the will of the voters and … Read more

Our Youth Deserve Better – Computer Based Learning

There has been a push for computer-based learning in public education for about a decade or so now.  The thinking is that students can go at their own pace, have optimally focused and differentiated remediation and instruction, and thus, students will perform better.  That’s the sales pitch, anyway. I teach remedial math courses part time … Read more

Teaching Conceptual Understanding Flow Chart for Educators

Focus on Conceptual Understanding Flow Chart for Educators Teaching by concept alone will lead to inefficiencies in students.  They will, in effect, be reinventing a large part of the wheel at every turn.  (See what I did there?)  We have all witness what focus on procedure alone does.  It leaves students will a bunch of … Read more

What Do Grades Really Mean?

What Do Grades Mean The following is highly contentious.  Many of the situations discussed here should ultimately be considered on an individual basis.  The purpose of this is not to create a rubber-stamp solution to all problems that arise with grade assignment and student ability and or performance, but is to provide a general framework … Read more

The Smallest Things Can Cause Huge Problems for Students

preemptive Pre-Emptive Explanation It is often the case, for the mathematically-insecure, that the slightest point of confusion can completely undermine their determination. Consider a beginning Algebra student that is learning how to evaluate functions like: f( x )=3x− x 2 +1 f( 2 ) MathType@MTEF@5@5@+= feaagKart1ev2aqatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq=Jc9 vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0=yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr=x fr=xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGceaqabeaacaWGMb WaaeWaaeaacaWG4baacaGLOaGaayzkaaGaeyypa0JaaG4maiaadIha cqGHsislcaWG4bWaaWbaaSqabeaacaaIYaaaaOGaey4kaSIaaGymaa qaaiaadAgadaqadaqaaiaaikdaaiaawIcacaGLPaaaaaaa@43D9@ A confident … Read more