Serial Success: The Final 6

The fourth and final episode of Serial Success! [Day 8 31DBBB: Interlink Your Older Blog Posts]

1. Take random pictures.
This goes back to keeping records of your students. Random pictures are fun and can be easily incorporated into your blog, your classroom decorations, yearbook, or a school/parent newsletter. Students love attention and what better way to focus attention than by gazing at yourself? Take pictures during Homecoming week, at sporting events, assemblies, field trips or when you do super cool projects in the classroom. A teacher that I student taught with took a picture of each class and had an 8x10 printed out. Then she hung them all in the classroom. Students loved staring at themselves, considering they had forgotten what they and everyone sitting next to them looked like. Save these for posterity. Or just for remembering how cool you are.

2. Rearrange periodically.
Move your desk. Hang up new decorations. Put out new reading material. Push desks together or move them apart. Add some color. Rotate supplies. Do this for your own sanity. You spend all day, every day in this room. Your students spend time in this room every day. For the safety of everyone involved, spice it up! Life is too short for boring.


3. Show school spirit.
Anyone can wear a school t-shirt or hang up a sports schedule in their classroom. Showing school spirit is an attitude. The most important ingredient is that you care about students. Support them. Create a pep club if you don't have one. A math teacher I worked with started a math pep club. They designed a t-shirt with some funny math joke and wore them to the homecoming football game. That's it. The students LOVED it. I've seen in other schools where students decorate their lockers with cutouts for whatever clubs they're involved in. Offer bonus points if students come to a game or event and you see them there. Students will do anything for bonus points. Showing students you care about them and the school makes it a happier place to be.

4. No degrading
This one gets kind of messy with me. It should be simple so let me explain. As a teacher, you should NEVER speak disrespectfully of any teacher, students, faculty, staff, administrator, or employee of the school in front of your students. You immediately lose integrity with the students. They may think you're funny or cool at the time, but they don't really know where you stand. If you hate the place you work, why do you continue to work there? It sends a mixed message to the students. What's hard for me is, because I'm young, the students sometimes forget I'm a teacher. They complain to me about other teachers and how they're treated and their homework policies and so on. It's hard for me to hide my feelings and sometimes I am angry at the other teachers, but I can't show that. I try to take the focus off the teacher and put it on the student- what could you do differently? What are you doing wrong? How can you help the situation? How can I help you do better? Things like that. I want my students to feel like they are surrounded by people who care about them, support them, and want the best for them...whether it's true or not. I can use my influence to help students see things through a positive light even when it's a negative situation.

5. Current Events
One of my high school teachers would read the headlines on MSN when he turned his computer on and mention the ones that related to us in class. It was a government class so that wasn't hard to do but I think it's important. Math can be incorporated easily too- anything to do with money, architecture, sports statistics, etc. A lot of what students hear is trash so if you can speak truth about any subject, even current events, it could change their perspective. Relating your subject to the real world makes class more interesting, more relevant, and more believable.

6. Be accessible to students.
As I mentioned in another post, there are tons of ways to relate to kids outside of school. The ethics are debatable but you need to be accessible in some form. Whether it's an e-mail address, blog, or phone number, it's important for students to see you as a source of help. If you offer after school tutoring, invite them. (Or offer bonus points for coming) Tell the students your planning period so they can come for homework help. The odds are, not very many students will seek you out. But it could make a HUGE difference for the few students who actually need it. Students need to know you're there for them. Commit.

That wraps up my 6.6.6.6 tips and tricks. Thanks to everyone who reads!

Read the beginning of the series:
Serial Success: 6 Strategies for School
Serial Success: 6 More Strategies
Serial Success: A 6let of Strategies

Serial Success: A 6let of Strategies

The third installment of my first blog series, Serial Success. 


1. The Name Game
This is a fantastical idea for teachers who don't know their students' names yet. Instead of the normal roll call or go around the room and tell us your name, you make a game out of it. The first student says their name. The second name says the first student's name and then their name. The third student says the first and second student's name and then their own. And so on...the names are repeated so often that everyone, including you will know everyone's name by the end of the game. Of course, the ultimate challenge is if you can remember ALL the names. There is something powerful about calling someone by name, so the sooner you learn it, the better. This is just one example. There's a ton of ways and games you could create in order to accomplish the same goal. Get creative.

2. Daily Poll
This is something I encountered in college and really enjoyed. Our professor used this as a way of attendance but I think it's just a good time. He had a question written on a clipboard that he passed around the room. We had to write our name and an answer to the question. No answers could be repeated and your answers had to be legit [props to MC Hammer]. After everyone finished he would look at and read the really funny or creative answers or the ones that were wrong. It was a fun way to make class go by faster. Some examples of questions were "What's your favorite Disney movie?" (and it HAD to be Disney) "If you could be any character from a book, who would it be?" "What's your favorite mode of transportation?" (Remember, no answers could be repeated) These are a great way to test the imaginations of your students.

3. Candy
Without getting into the debate of internal vs. external motivators, candy is just a fun surprise. A teacher I had in high school had a jar of candy and randomly would offer it to the class. For no reason. And not often enough that we could expect it. That was the beauty of it. No strings attached. Everyone likes a little surprise chocolate.


4. Electric Pencil Sharpener
While I am pretty sure this goes without saying, an electric pencil sharpener will save your life. There is nothing worse than someone sawing away at the pencil sharpener while you're trying to speak. Or maybe it's just a pet peeve. But the regular kind always break and the electric ones are just easier to deal with. And quicker.

5. Acknowledge Student Achievements
This can be done in a variety of ways. You could have a Star of the Day, Student of the Week, Student of the Month, etc. Put their picture in your school newspaper, department newsletter, a note to parents, on the school website, on your class website, in the classroom, in the hallway, etc. Take a picture, print out a certificate, give them a sash or a crown (lol), give them a toy trophy or medal, etc. Also, make sure to acknowledge achievements outside of academics. If they're in the newspaper or won some other award, announce it in your class as well. Hang up articles, photos, and certificates that show your students hard work. Again, students want to be noticed. This really creates a positive atmosphere in your classroom and shows your high expectations.

6. Don't Play Favorites
This is important. For the majority of classes, your students have been going to school together for a significant amount of time. They know who the teacher's pet will be, who gets to run all the errands, who the slackers are, who the good readers are, and who always knows the answer. Break up the stereotypes, people! What I've seen the most is writing everyone's name on a stick and drawing sticks. Another version is writing everyone's name on a card and putting them on a key ring so you can flip back and forth. I see this mostly in the elementary and middle school but it needs to be implemented in the high school. It ensures the randomness and gives other students a chance. Use it to decide who to call on, how to pick partners, who to send on errands, and more. It's fun. It's fair. And it's handy-dandy [props to Steve].


Can't stop at 666...so come back!

Serial Success: 6 More Strategies

This is the second installment of my series, Serial Success: 6 Strategies for School, tips to use and think about in teaching.

1. Binders
We've all seen this done a dozen different ways (alliteration makes my heart smile) but it's so effective! It's a great way to teach students to be organized and makes your life easier. I'm just going to give you my take on it, but use your imagination to take it wherever you like! 3-ring binder, preferably 2 inch width. Page dividers. Label as Notes, Handouts, Homework, Graded Work. Loose-leaf paper. College or wide-ruled, go wild! Now there is a place for everything and everything in it's place. Students love to customize, accessorize, and put their name on everything in sight.
+ Bonus +

2. Binder Grading
Obviously, you won't want to carry around 30 binders per class to take home and grade. A good time to grade theses is during a test (or whatever you call your assessment) when students are occupied and not using their binders. One college professor I had always had a deck of cards and would have a student cut the deck. If the card was a 10 or higher, the binders were graded that day. You could also roll dice, flip a coin, etc. (Also a great tie in to probability.) Grading can be as simple as checking for all appropriate work/assignment in each section. Mark the end of each section with the date so you know where to begin the next time you grade.

3. Extra Credit for Early Assignments
There are a ton of ways to offer extra credit. Some examples I've seen in the past are for brining in boxes of kleenex, box tops, cleaning overhead transparencies, buying book covers, technology points from buying calculators, and returning important papers. So. Extra credit is a huge motivation for students. But offering extra credit for assignments that are turned in early has even more benefits than the aforementioned. You're rewarding students for being organized and efficient, it's an incentive to be organized and efficient, and you're teaching them important job skills: organization and efficiency! Plus, you can grade theirs sooner.


4. Birthday Surprises
Students love attention. They need to know that they are valuable. The popular thing at my high school to do for birthdays is buy balloons from the FCCLA club. You could write a message on the card and balloons would be delivered to the student at the end of the day. Of course, the pretty people had more than everyone else but still, people noticed you on your birthday. That's important. I was always disappointed because my birthday is May 28th. We were never in school on that day and if we were it was the last day, early dismissal, report card day, etc. Every year I hoped someone, some amazing friend, would remember and buy me balloons before school ended. They never did. I'm not bitter. One teacher asked students at the beginning of the year what their favorite candy bar was and then bought it for them on their birthday. This one is so easy! It could be candy, pencil, pen, card, sticker, stamp, anything to show you remember and care that it is their special day. And please, don't leave the summer kids out. They can't help it their mother's picked an inconvenient day of birth.

5. Keep Records of Each Student
You never know where each student may go in life and when they may return. Whenever I hear of my students, I want to remember them and acknowledge our 180 days together. This is as simple as taking a class photo and having all students sign the back. [Insert scrapbooking plug] These are great memories for you as well as the students who may re-enter your life. Also, you'll have their siblings, friends, neighbors, cousins, and eventually their children. =) Keep track of your generations of teaching.

6. Magnetic Alphabet
This is not a joke my friend, I promise you. You can get these for $1 and students will have endless fun. Endless! They love to spell out their names, their nicknames, the year they graduate, their class, etc. [See #1] Students can't resist bright, colorful objects that stick to things regardless of age, sex, race, or religion. Beware: you may have to buy two sets.

$2 = Endless fun x 2

Stay tuned for another sixlet!

Serial Success: 6 Strategies for School

This is the first installment of a new series of teaching tips that I've written during my high school, community college, and university experience. I'm sure some of these tips would help out teachers in online colleges as well. These are just ideas, not proven successful tips, but hopefully they will inspire you to create your own or to just look at things through a different perspective. [Day 2 of 31DBBB Challenge: Write a List Post]

1. Have a detailed class and homework schedule.
While this is seen more in the college arena, I think it is something that definitely should be adapted to high school. If nothing else, it prepares students for college (that is part of our job I'm assuming?) I had a teacher in high school who gave a monthly calendar. For each day it showed what section we would be covering and the corresponding homework assignments. She graded homework folders at the end of a chapter or month. This was convenient for students who wanted to work ahead, who fell behind, or who were absent. We always knew what was expected. If something happened in class that messed up our schedule, we just adjusted accordingly. Students crave structure and want to know what's going on. So tell them.

2. Require students to take notes.
I love to give handouts (especially if teaching by powerpoint). It is incredibly simpler for students to fill in the blanks or show the work instead of racing to scribble down everything you write. Students appreciate it, class runs smoother, and it's helpful for substitutes as well. It's a type of formative assessment. It makes creating study guides so easy it's almost a sin. Almost. Studies show that students who do the work, learn. So make them do work!

3. Give short quizzes based on notes.
These make great bell-ringers and require very little thought. Take 2-3 short examples, definitions, theorems, etc from the previous days notes and give a quiz. Allow students to use their notes. This is a great way to prepare students for connecting new concepts to prior knowledge. It's an easy grade for those who take notes and another incentive to actually complete the notes. Easy to grade, formative and self-assessing, it helps improve students' grades. Success!

4. Go over ALL homework questions.
For clarity, I mean all parts of the assignment that students did not understand, not every single problem assigned. I cannot tell you how frustrating it was for me as a paying student in college to have professors who would only answer a few questions before moving on to new material. Obviously they have much less time to work with students than we do in the high school, but still. My view is don't assign what you can't/won't explain. You assign homework for a purpose, so explain it. Don't leave them hanging! If they have questions on every single problem, obviously, you have missed something. Don't blame the students for not learning if you aren't teaching. Is it more important to rush through a predetermined amount of material or for students to have a solid understanding of all material covered?

5. Grade homework as it's turned in.
Another college pet peeve- professors who rarely, if ever, return graded homework. I saw this mostly in the education program. Here we are, future teachers learning about how important self-assessment is and how to be consistent with our grading, and our own teachers don't model it. Even if you just grade it based on completion, at least students have something to show for their hard work and you don't have mountains of paperwork covering your desk. Students need to know how they're doing and they want to know now, not at the end of the semester. How can they correct mistakes they don't know they're making?


6. Give study guides for tests.
This is incredibly important for your first year students (which you will have every year, right?). Students have no idea what to expect from you and therefore, no idea what to study. It's also very helpful if you give page numbers of the material covered as well as how many points each problem is worth. Plus, students are more likely to take a study guide home to study rather than their book or notes. Simplicity, people.

Stay tuned for six more!

Pro Blog It

So. I am participating in 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge. It's being held at ProBlogger by @problogger. It only has 9200 participants so it's just a small, intimate gathering of close friends.

But I digress.

The first assignment is to write an elevator pitch for my blog.

First, I just want to say...I am not obsessed with getting people to read my blog. I am not going to spend every waking moment of my life writing posts, commenting on other blogs, or twittering to my hearts content. (That last one may be a lie) Honestly, I do have a life. And a job. And without those, what would I write about? On the other hand, I'm all about improving myself and making progress in my own life. So. I want to improve my blog and make it better for the 2 people who do read it and for the future people who may want to.

And now back to regularly scheduled writing...

So. I already have my "tagline". [See above] "The positives and negatives of teaching high school math". Let us analyze.

1. Word play
Fun. Always a winner. Catchy. Actually relates to math.

2. Truth
I actually tell what I do. Best policy. Defining.

3. Short
Easy to remember.

So. A+ on that. But now, I need something longer. Something like 100-150 words that solve a problem or need, define my audience, is clear, is short, stands out, intrigues, is energetic but not hyped, might be a question, and is easy to expand on in real-life conversation.

No problem. I write those in my sleep.

Ready, set, go! Ok, my ideal audience is other teachers or people who might be interested in teaching. Not necessarily just school teachers either. What problem or need am I solving? I think my tagline says it pretty well. I want to show the positives and negatives of teaching. Balance. There's too many that do one or the other and not both. Also, I want to help other teachers by offering lesson plans, ideas, tip, etc. That's what I like to read and so that's what I would like to offer. And I wanna be funny. I love making people laugh. Now can I think of an intriguing question? Hmm.

Miss Cal.Q.L8 shares the up, downs, and all-a-rounds of teaching. From serious to silly, this blog offers help, hope, and happiness to the teacher in all of us. It's practical and inspirational. From the miscalculations of math to the miscalculations in life, there are tips and tricks for everything. Read it to learn, laugh, and like math. How can you improve your teaching skills? Learn from one 'miscalculation' at a time.

So I like series of words, analogies, and alliterations. Any other suggestions?