It’s amazing to me how quickly my first year of teaching is passing by! I’m in shock that it is almost March and I’m already signing up for programs for next year. This is my most nerve-racking time of the year because my students are taking NY State math tests in 2 weeks. I am very busy getting testing materials ready for my students. They know that the next week, I will be a drill sergeant with packets, test questions, and word problems. Hope they are ready for it! I get very frustrated, because these students do not like to study. So, I figured if they do these practice problems in class, they will be forced to do the problems. I would love any suggestions or activities that I can use with my students. My SMART Board no longer works, so I can’t use that in an activity 
Time Flies!
Technology with 7th grade math students
I was very proud of my usage of technology in my 7th grade inclusion math classroom. I decided to have my students create a 15 slide PowerPoint in the classroom. They were working on it for three weeks and it was finally due today. There were many complications with this project in the district that I work in. One of the obstacles I had to overcome was the fact that many students do not have computers at home. In a school that does not have an over-abundance of technology, it is difficult to book the computer lab for those students. That was one of the many reasons that the project’s due-date was pushed back twice. Another obstacle these students had was putting their PowerPoints on disks, CDs, and memory sticks. They did it, but when it finally was time to show it in class, the presentation did not appear on the overhead. Finally I resorted to using what I learned in my technology class. I had the students do their presentations through Google Docs if they did not have PowerPoint at home. This project taught these students a lot about how to use technology. I was impressed with the number of students that used the Google program! In the end it turned out to be a successful project that the students said they enjoyed working on. Mission accomplished!
Nervous…
The time has finally come for students to take their practice state math tests. I am starting to feel a little bit stressed about my students doing well on this math test. It is my first year, and I know that there is definitely pressure on me as far as how the students perform on the test. Report cards were just sent out, and there are about 20 students that received an F, out of about 120. My principal called me in to ask me why there were so many failing grades. The only way that I could explain it to him was that if they do not apply themselves, it is not possible to pass. For example, if they don’t do 2 projects or their homework, they are most likely going to get an F. My principal needs to also understand that if he looks across every subject, the same students are failing almost EVERY subject. I am nervous, still, that I am going to get the blame if these students do not perform well on their state tests. How can I ease my nerves? I have one month to prepare these kids for the REAL state test, and they know that I stay afterschool for extra help almost every day (though most usually don’t take advantage of this).
Extra-Curricular?
My school has a preparation math program that pepares the students to take the state math test. I was asked a while back if I would like to sign up to teach it, but at the time I wasn’t positive about what the program entailed and the process of teaching it. I said that I would pass on it this time. As a first year teacher, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with all of the work I have to do aside from the work I do during the day. Additionally, I took on a sixth period AIS math class to teach every day (for students who need extra help). On top of that, I just started a graduate program. I was not sure if volunteering for this program was such a great idea at the time. What would you do?
SMART Board
I never knew that having a SMART Board could create so much excitement in a classroom! I just received a SMART Board this week for the first time in my classroom, and Friday was the first time that I implemented its use in their learning. In teaching middle school students, I have to keep in mind the topics that interest these students, and then I can apply them to math. On Friday, I showed my students a video on the mathematics involved in creating roller-coasters. My students were so thrilled to be watching something that they could relate to. With the SMART Board screen in front of my classroom, I can now show them all sorts of videos and play with many interactive math programs. I think that this is going to enhance the learning of my students and hopefully it will assist in developing an upward trend in their test scores.
New York Sports Club
One of the highlights of this week was joining a gym. I was a little bit unsure of which place was going to offer me the best deal in terms of cost and equipment. After a little bit of price comparing and talking to friends, I finally decided on New York Sports Club for a number of reasons. First of all, my brother is a member of the one in New York City, and if I join here as a gold member, I can go to his gym for free on weekends and “off peak” hours. Secondly, the cardio machines seem relatively new, and each one has its own individual television attached to it. Lastly, they were holding a special New Years sale that fit the price that I was willing to pay in order to sign up. They gave me 4 free guest passes in case I have any friends that I would like to bring with me. I have been a member now for two days, and I have discovered that being a brand new member, I am more motivated to attend the gym because I want to get my money’s worth!
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