second semester resumes...

Tomorrow is the first day of second semester! Part of me can't believe Winter Break has officially come to an end, and the other part of me is shocked to be staring at only one remaining semester. Of course, the Tilmon girls are always hoping for snow. Any day works...but my sweet girlies would really prefer tomorrow. Haha!

So in honor of their snow wishes, I created an equation game and added some snowmen for fun.

Something tells me that my girlies aren't the only students dreaming of snow for tomorrow. :)

Do you have snow days where you live? Or hurricane days? Or heat days? Is there any sort of weather that unexpectedly causes school to be cancelled? I need proof to show my girls that not everyone gets to enjoy random snow days like us!

This post is part of the BlogHer #NaBloPoMo challenge.

Enjoy the final moments of your weekend...make it count!

the turquoise shoes...

Our Saturday has been filled with cooking, shopping, and a wedding! My girls only remember one babysitter in their life. Maybe because she's worked for us for 9 years. Or maybe because she's amazing. But probably all of the above! Our sweet Kelsey got married tonight. My youngest was sad because she doesn't want to share Kelsey with the groom. Haha! Now don't get me wrong...we love that boy...but the girl has captivated our hearts for ages. :) The wedding was perfect! And my favorite part was the end. Kelsey and Daniel were walking down the stairs and as Kelsey lifted her gorgeous dress you could spy turquoise heels peeking under her hem. What a fun surprise! So very Kelsey, and it brought a smile to my face.

I'm curious. When you're teaching, do you let the real you shine? Under all of the paperwork, lesson plans, activities, and such...do your students know you? Would they be surprised by your turquoise shoes? Or would they smile because they know it's totally YOU! Let me encourage you to build relationships with your students. Captivate their hearts. Be intentional about bringing smiles to their faces.

This post is part of the BlogHer #NaBloPoMo challenge.

Happy Saturday to YOU...make it count!

my secret to productivity...

This post is part of the BlogHer #NaBloPoMo challenge.

Day 4 Prompt: At what time of day do you feel the most energetic and productive?

Hmmm...considering I'm writing this post at 12:41 am...I would have to be truthful and say I'm a night owl. Haha! But I am too old to pull late nights very often and still be productive day after day. So based on the conditions of my teaching job, I prefer to teach early in the morning and prep at the end of the school day.

But we're not here to talk about me! Let's ponder how to streamline the crazy amounts of energy my middle school algebra students maintain. And how do we set the stage so they can be productive from bell to bell?

I have a one word solution: CHUNKING!

Our lessons may feel very choppy to a random guest, but chunking our routines into 12-15 minute tasks allows my students to stay focused and maintain productivity. This means we participate in five or six activites each day. Here's our typical routine...

Although we follow the same basic routine each day, each piece varies from lesson to lesson. The the variety maintains energy and the routine yields productivity.

What does a typical day in your classroom look like to an outsider? Do you use some form of chunking? And what's your secret to increasing productivity? Inquiring minds want to know...please do share!

Happy Friday to YOU!
Enjoy your weekend...make it count!

positive and negative charge...

This post is part of the BlogHer #NaBloPoMo challenge.

Day 3 Prompt: What is your favorite way to recharge when you feel drained of energy?

My goal this month as I respond to the BlogHer prompts for this challenge is to connect each question to my middle school math classroom. It happens. Everyone has a day when they just don't feel up to par. So for today I want to share my Top 3 tricks for surviving a day of teaching algebra when I feel drained. Goodness knows an energy lapse isn't necessarily convenient...it doesn't always occur on a weekend or an extended break. What's a teacher to do?!?

Trick #1
Dress for an interview.
I automatically feel like I can fake energy if I'm dressed up. Don't call me crazy until you try it! :)

Trick #2
Meet your students at the door.
Their smiles are contagious! I don't know about your students, but my seventh and eighth graders have an abundance of energy...certainly plenty to share with me. :)

Trick #3
Insert an activity...Madagascar style.
I like to move it move it! When my students are up and moving around the classroom for an activity the energy level rises for everyone...including me. And if I find myself dragging on a day that doesn't have an activity with movement, I pull from a previous lesson and repeat an activity as review at the beginning or end of class.

The teacher is the biggest influence on the classroom environment. We can send a positive charge or a negative charge throughout the classroom...every single day. Good, bad, or ugly. Do the math. What kind of balance do you desire by the end of the block?

So how do you recharge your classroom? Please do share! I would love nothing more than to add your methods to my bag of tricks for those days I feel less than energetic.

Have a fabulous Thursday...make it count!

daily tasks...

This post is part of the BlogHer #NaBloPoMo challenge.

Day 2 Prompt: Which daily tasks take up the most of your energy?

Umm. Let's see...paperwork? Attendance, grades, emails, etc. could be at the top of my list as there seems to be an abundance of paperwork. And although these unending tasks require a fair share of my energy, I would have to say assessment consumes most of my energy.

And by "assessment" I don't mean quizzes and tests. I'm referring to the constant question that replays in my brain..."Is he/she really getting it?!?"

I am always analyzing if each individual student is grasping the current concept, maintaining the understanding of past concepts so as to apply to the current concept, and understanding the current concept deeply enough to move forward for future concepts. Now THAT is exhausting!

Winter break is always a welcomed event in the Tilmon house. The girls love to have no routine for a couple of weeks. I love that too! And I also love the freedom that allows me extra time to reflect on the first semester and our progress.

I spent some of this Winter Break fine tuning my analysis of my students' progress on their algebra mastery assessments. After reviewing progress on each standard, I aligned the games and review questions on MangaHigh with each Common Core standard within our first semester units. (A huge thanks to my 21st Century math partner in crime, John Seidel, for introducing me to this amazing website! Seriously...the site had everything aligned...I just played the matching game.)

So when classes resume next week, each of my algebra students will have a set of online games to play that are tied directly to their specific areas that need improvement. This will be our anchor activity for the next six weeks.


My winter break ends today! It's back to school tomorrow for teachers while students return on Monday. I hope you have thoroughly enjoyed your time away from the classroom. May these days allow you to stock pile energy for the semester ahead.

Happy Wednesday to YOU...make it count!

my energy source...

Happy 2013 to YOU!
I'm linking up with Farley for her monthly "Currently" blog post.


Hop on over and join the fun! Here's my Currently January:

 

Let me explain my OLW selection. So...I follow some amazing educators on Twitter. If you haven't hopped on that social media bandwagon, stop reading this post and setup an account immediately. Twitter provides free professional development in 140 characters or less. And I consistently stalk some amazing Twitter chats (#21stedchat #mschat #satchat #edchat #ntchat just to name a few!). But one particular hashtag gained my attention recently. #NaBloPoMo



I followed a post to Blog Her written by Melissa Ford and read about a challenge to blog daily for the month of January. The theme is energy and daily prompts are available. I plan to use the prompts but still connect each post to my classroom. You can join me...deadline for this month is January 5!

Day 1 Prompt: From where do you draw your energy?

Teachers make an exhausting number of decisions each and every day. Without a reliable energy source, the job itself could quickly become overwhelming.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28.7

I encourage each of you to take care of YOU in 2013. Be sure you are drawing near to your energy source so that you can serve your students well.

Enjoy your break...make it count!

error analysis...

Tap...tap...tap...
Is this thing still on?!?
I cannot believe it's been three months since I've reflected publicly. Where has the semester gone? But I'm not complaining...because it is definitely time for a break. And on top of some serious rest and relaxation, I'm hoping to reflect on some of my favorite activities from my classroom.

One of my favorite activities occurs after my students have completed a unit test. The following day when students review the graded tests, they analyze each missed problem and determine what type of error was made. I create a Google form that separates each problem and lists the possible errrors (ex: calculation error, copy error, notation error, units error, solving error, model error, etc.). Students are able to click each error to complete the process of reflection. We follow the error analysis with the development of a graphic organizer (see example below) that summarizes the content within the unit and then a roundtable discussion in our teams about errors they want to avoid on their redo test.

I am able to complete this activity easily with my classroom set of laptops. But I have teammates who have used the form by reserving the computer lab or using a classroom set of Nooks. The advantage of the Google form is that students don't have to register for an account and remember username/password information. I can simply post a link to the error analysis form on my blog and let my students analyze at their own pace. And the data gathered from my students can be exported to a spreadsheet and then calculated for PLC data review.

With that said, in the past I have done error analysis using scantrons and then offering my students to identify where the mistake occured and then reworking the problem from that point. I believe the activity of classifying the type of error raises the students' attention to detail when having to distinguish between possible errors.

To create a new form to share with teammates and/or students follow these steps:
Google
Drive
Create
Form

Hope you have a fabulous winter break!
Make it count!

avoiding the chaos of piles...

#msSunFun

My classroom organization motto is "a place for everything and everything in its place!" And I find it fairly easy to keep up with manipulatives and classroom supplies, but I used to struggle with papers...especially papers I didn't plan on receiving. As day after day of teaching continued, unexpected papers would create a pile of chaos. Typically the only thing that would force me to address the piles was preparation for a substitute. And even then, sometimes I would just scoop the pile from my desk to a cabinet. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who is guilty of that bad habit!) Anyways, last year I created a file crate that eliminated the chaos of piles.

The crate contains laminated file folders (zebra and polka dot, of course!) labeled for everything from absent work to class rosters. Here's a view of my different labels...

This file crate sits on a short bookcase behind my podium. I can easily access a needed file for unexpected papers. If the paper needs addressed by the end of the day, then the file stays on my podium. I sort through files and accomplish necessary tasks after school before returning files to the crate.

So how do you stay organized from day to day?!? Please leave a comment to share your organizational tip! No tip is too small. :)

This post is included in the Middle School Math Sunday Funday collaboration of posts from middle school math teachers!

Next week's topic will be...
classroom management!
Stay tuned for my secret to managing a middle school math classroom.

Have a great week...make it count!

mathchat forum...

Make a prediction. What percent of instructional time is dedicated to answering homework questions from the previous day? Now...time yourself for ten days and report your average. Inquiring minds want to know! :)

This will be my third year to offer my students a private online forum to discuss homework.

Our MathChat forum extends the walls of the classroom beyond the school day. We can still collaborate and coach each other after school hours. The discussion threads are posted in an education wikispace. My students, parents, and administration have logins and passwords to participate in the forum. And I have notifications sent directly to my email when someone posts in the forum...which I manage from my iPhone. The setup does not require the use of student email addresses. Two of the most significant benefits from the implementation of a MathChat forum is that the discussion option reduces anxiety for my students and saves me time in class the next day. It's a win-win for all involved.

How do you address homework issues in your classroom? Please leave a comment to share your tried and true method.

Happy Friday Eve to YOU...make it count!

remembering 9.11

It was the Tuesday before Homecoming at BHS.
I remember the vivid details like it happened yesterday.
My 2nd hour Precal students were taking a trig test.
Every classroom had a TV.
But the TVs weren't functioning yet.
It was our first fall in the new building.
My neighbor had prep that hour.
He came to my window and motioned for me to come to the hall.
The details of a terrorist attack were few and vague at best.
Yet unbelievable.
Since I didn't have much to share, I opted to let my students finish their test before I relayed the breaking news to them.
I still remember the conversation.
Their shock and subsequent questions.
We continued the routine of the day.
Going through the motions.
Though completely distracted.

Spend time today in a spirit of gratitude for those who sacrificed beyond our wildest imaginations...past, present, and future. May our freedom be treasured!

Be intentional today...make it count!

favorite math games...

#msSunFun

My students absolutely love to play games in math class! One of my students recently asked, "Do we play a game every single day?" When I told him "with the exception of test days," he decided our class was the coolest algebra class ever. (I didn't declare the obvious...that it was his only algebra class ever. Haha!)

My lesson plans integrate a math game into our MATHercise routine for the purpose of building fluency. I use 1 player games at the beginning of the year, but quickly progress to small group games with 3-6 players as the year continues.

My students' favorite math game is Go Fish! They love it because they get to go again when the make a set. :) I love it because the game improves their mathematical communication skills, and they complete a ton of problems in a short amount of time...great practice!

Click on the Exponental Functions preview above to download a FREE game from my TPT store.

This Go Fish! game allows students to practice matching functions displayed graphically, algebraically, numerically, and verbally. And a Go Fish! game is super easy for teachers to differentiate...just stack the deck strategically! ;)

Currently, I have a tie between my two most popular games available in my TPT store:

Stem-and-Leaf Plots Matching Game
and
Inequalities Go Fish Game

Check them out and let me know what you think. So what's your "go to" game for the math classroom?!? Any special content requests for the next game I create for my store?!?

This post is included in the Middle School Math Sunday Funday collaboration of posts from middle school math teachers!

Next week's topic will be...
organizational tips and tricks!
I will be sharing my filing system that eliminates the dreaded piles. :)

Have a great week...make it count!

make-a-monster learning styles glyph...

Based on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, we know students are smart in many ways. I have one daughter who is word smart and one daughter who is people smart. They couldn't be more different as learners. And in the classroom setting, it is important that we as teachers recognize and meet the needs of the unique and varied learning styles represented by our students.

On the first day of school, my students completed a monster glyph to display their learning styles.

You might notice that I have a lot of blue monsters! Students selected the color of their monster based on their tendency when learning new and difficult concepts. If they tend to jump in and contribute ideas, their monster would be blue. If they tend to sit back and listen first, their monster would be orange. Quite the visual reminder for me as the teacher, huh?!?

Detailed instructions for this Make-a-Monster Glyph Activity are available in my TpT store as a priced prodcut.

So how do you get to know your students and their unique learning styles at the beginning of the year? Leave a comment to share your "go to" activity!

Enjoy your weekend...make it count!

differentiating instruction in algebra...

The strengths of principals vary from building to building and state to state. Yet I'm convinced excellence with every step in regards to instruction is critical to the progress of a community of learners. It is a privelege to work for a principal who makes teaching and learning a primary focus. Wanna spy what she just added to her collection of resources for our building?!?

Differentiating Instruction in Algebra 1 by Kelli Jurek is another great find to help us meet the individual needs of our math students. This book includes activities for the major function families (linear, exponential, and quadratic) included in Algebra 1 curriculum as well as other supporting topics.

What's on your teacher bookcase? Or perhaps...what's in your "teacher books" folder on your iPad?!? Leave a comment to share your latest and greatest find!

Have a good one...make it count!

calendar app...

Middle school tends to be a giant transition for students. With the need for time management and organizational skills, our students encounter a significant learning curve. And with that fact comes the truth that I teach much more than algebra. I want to build better students who will be successful far beyond my classroom.

One way that I support students in learning time management is to provide them with a calendar to reference important dates. I've spent the last three years updating a calendar on a teacher website provided by my school district. With help from my super smart colleague Jared Jones, I created a free app via Mobile Conduit for my algebra students and parents. It's fast and simple and requires no coding!

The app connects to our classroom Google calendar and includes event titles and descriptions with details (and links!). Mobile Conduit automatically generates a QR code to allow users easy download to their mobile device. School has been in session for two weeks and 50% of my students and parents have downloaded this app for their convenience.

A calendar is just one of many options for app creation available at Mobile Conduit. Please leave a comment and share your ideas for other useful apps to help ease the transition for middle school students.

Wishing you a great week...make it count!

homework with purpose...

The homework assigned to my algebra students either prompts students to apply concepts learned in class or investigate upcoming concepts. My goal is to provide a format that enables my students to master the foundational concepts required for future math learning.

Mastery requires focused practice over days or weeks. After only four practice sessions students reach a halfway point to mastery. It takes more than 24 more practice sessions before students reach 80 percent mastery. And this practice must occur over a span of days or weeks, and cannot be rushed (Anderson, 1995; Newell & Rosenbloom, 1981).

Since research shows that students need multiple encounters with the content before they reach mastery of the concepts, I continually integrate prior learning throughout our lessons. The main deposits for revisiting concepts occur in our MATHercise routine, Unit Menus, and spiraled assessments. You can read more about our daily MATHercise bell ringer activity here. It's a great way to continue working on previous concepts while allowing me to work with individual students or small groups. Next, the unit menus provide a structure of choice for enrichment and remediation on previous concepts. You can read more details and view a sample or invest in a book of blackline masters by Laurie Westphal. Finally, each unit assessment in algebra contains one or two competencies of distributed practice from previous units. It helps my students to keep practicing concepts...as we say in class...if you don't use it, you'll lose it!

And to allow feedback on homework outside of the school day, I have organized a wikispace for my students to post homework questions. The settings allow me to receive an email notice when a response is posted. And with the access of email on my iPhone, I'm able to respond quickly. But nothing melts my heart more than when my students start helping each other in our MathChat forum! A similar discussion forum for your class is available through edmodo; however, I prefer the organization of post titles in the wikispace.

This post is part of the Middle School Math Sunday Funday collaboration of posts by middle school math teachers!

Next week's topic will be...Favorite Math Class Games. Let me know if you have a special request.

Have a fabulous weekend...make it count!

let's use triangles...

What's your opinion on the integration of technology in today's classrooms? Watch this YouTube video to see what students at our high school think.

Will Richardson was the keynote speaker for our Back-to-School celebration yesterday. I also spent a few hours in open forums with him on Thursday. He is a challenging consultant. One who asks bold questions and provides no solutions. It is somewhat ironic how educators prefer a 5-page action plan including a detailed checklist...especially when it's not provided. The issue? Our world has radically changed due to technology; however, our current education system was not built to serve students in the 21st Century. I parallel this to the square peg/round hole issue. As an educator, I must find a way to bridge the gap in my classroom. I have no choice but to offer 21st Century skills to the learners in our current education system. What did Will suggest to me via Twitter? "Somehow we have to find ways to change the shapes."

As I enter a new school year with a classroom set of laptops and three sections of Algebra 1 students, I plan to use triangles...slowly merging my square peg and circular destination to a new shape through an effort to bridge this educational gap.

The 21st Century Toolbox in my classroom will begin with the following platforms:

Will my efforts be successful? Will my plans yield a positive impact for the future learning of my students? That's my goal. Only time will tell.

What changes will you be implementing in your classroom this fall? Please share. I would love to add your expertise to my toolbox!

Have a fabulous weekend...make it count!

drawing a line in the sand...

You know the first day of school is coming soon if...

• you simply cannot remember the last day you didn't make a trip to Staples or Walmart
• your custodian secretly leaves a super-sized trash bag in your classroom
• you only have one alarm-free weekday remaining

It's true. I'm drawing a line in the sand. Last week was filled with assessment meetings and classroom organization. Yesterday I met my fall semster intern. Today I presented a classroom management session at our district new teacher orientation. And tonight I will be heading to a faculty/staff pot luck dinner to ring in the new year. So...that's it...I'm crossing over. Today was my last day of "teacher stuff" in the summertime. Tomorrow will hold a jumpstart to our inservice that officially starts on Friday morning.

Let the random blogging of my classroom life resume!

Hope you're having a great week...make it count!

problem-based learning vs. direct instruction

Becoming a Common Core teacher.

What exactly does that mean to you?

Moving from the sage on the stage to the guide on the side.
Requiring students to solve problems via different paths.
Providing a learning environment that involves choice and differentiation.

Agree? Disagree? Qualify?

These are goals that I have been striving to achieve in the past three years. I didn't set these goals to become a Common Core teacher; however, I do believe they coincide with the characteristics necessary to be successful with the new standards. But I've decided there is an element of teaching that I haven't truly processed.

Yep. It's official. I've been stretched. My current professional development (UAEMP) has challenged me to assess my teaching methods. Conclusion: There is a time for problem-based learning and there is a time for direct instruction.

If I can develop a concept through discovery, then I should engage my students in that task and provide an opportunity for reflection and summary of findings.

If I can expand a concept through problem-based learning, then I should provide rich open-ended problems for my students to solve in a variety of ways...and again...provide an opportunity for discussion that prompts further learning.

And if a concept requires process via direct instruction, then I should provide such teaching opportunities in the most engaging and efficient way possible to allow for adequate practice and application of the concept.

However, it is important to note that I cannot successfully teach a process unless my students have the conceptual understanding to make connections and applications of the concept to said process. Far too often math teachers focus on the short-term process without a watchful eye on the long-term concept. As my district dives into Grades 5-8 Common Core standards implementation, I commit to being intentional as I select discovery and problem-based learning activities vs. direct instruction.

Have you attended professional development this summer that has stretched you as a teacher?!? Oh...please share...surely I'm not the only one with ideas swirling these days! :)

Hope your week is off to a great start...make it count!

definitely time for a "to do" list

Hello to my blogging friends! I apologize for my absence. I've hit the stretch of my summer with consecutive plans...one week at the beach...one week at the Arkansas Department of Education...two weeks at UofA.

The beach was wonderful! I quickly converted to a complete and total beach bum. Reading. Sleeping. And eating lots of hot boiled shrimp! :)



My week at the ADE was valuable professional development. I'm so thankful for the invite! Nearly 1000 algebra items were reviewed and sent to the edit stage.

Currently...I'm in my first week of STEM professional development at its finest. UAEMP. University of Arkansas Engineering and Math Partnership. The engineering professors are leading us through the changes to our curriculum that are forthcoming with the implementation of Common Core. Today's focus was changing how we teach. We're building projects that align to Understanding by Design.


Meanwhile...I have been investigating Evernote via Nicholas Provenzano @thenerdyteacher in some recent blog posts about his Epic Evernote Experiment and an IPEVO document camera. I plan to help my students organize their algebra notes and sample work in a stack of notebooks in Evernote. And I will be able to model key elements through a shared notebook in my premium Evernote account. My next investigation is Weebly for Education to create a private set of websites/blogs for my classes. Any suggestions? I would love to hear your review on Weebly websites.

I refuse to look at my calendar, but I feel my final summer days passing quickly. And that can only mean one thing...time for a serious "to do" list. So...do tell...what's at the top of your school list?!?

Have a great week...make it count!