Differentiating Doesn't Have to be Difficult!

Do you differentiate as often as you feel you should?

Sometimes the planning required to differentiate can be discouraging.  If that's the case for you, start out simple. Differentiate by student choice, because kids love having alternatives.  If you are concerned about leveled work, it is usually pretty easy to find lesson options at different ability levels even if you are primarily focusing on choice. 

You might think this would be chaotic, but I've found it to be great for classroom management!  In my experience, students are often much more focused on their work when the entire class is not working on the same assignment. 

Begin by choosing a topic about which you have lots of resources available.  Then, think about content, learning style, and grading.

Content

Begin with the end in mind.  

• What do you want your students to have learned at the end of the lesson?
• Are your students at very different levels of understanding or at similar levels?

Learning Style/Interest

Provide choices.

• Do you need easy, medium, and challenging assignment choices?
• Is each assignment choice relevant to the topic and productive in terms of resulting in student learning?
• Are you offering enough variety to address different learning styles? Brainstorm resources you already have or ones that can be found or created easily.
• A traditional worksheet or textbook assignment is FINE.  Some kids prefer this!  Visual learners and kinesthetic learners thrive on activities that require drawing or coloring, cutting and pasting, using task cards, or completing a card sort.  Partner activities are great for social and verbal learners.  Students who love to read and write may be prefer to read about the topic and summarize it by writing about it, creating a product, or producing a digital display to demonstrate their learning.
• Don't get overwhelmed when brainstorming lesson options.  

Grading/Planning

Keep it simple!

• Focus on the objective: What do you want your students to have learned at the end of the lesson?
• Realistically, about how many class periods should be allocated to completing the work? 
• I decide on a reasonable number of class periods.  Then, I make a final due date for all work a couple of days later.  That allows students who work slowly to finish up outside of the classroom without a penalty.  It also means that those who finish quickly are not left sitting around for a few days with nothing else to do.
• Making many of the lessons self check will make your life easier and allow students to get immediate feedback.  
• I usually have students check in with me each time they complete an assignment.  After checking it off as complete, I show them the answer key.  They check their own work and let me know if they have questions about anything.  I've found that this process keeps them honest and I am regularly touching base with every student.
• Should each student complete the same amount of work?  
• Don't get stuck on this quantity versus quality issue.  A lower ability student may complete a few relatively simple assignments while a higher level student only completes one or two more complicated tasks.  That's ok!  Other times, a lower ability student may take a long time to complete an assignment while a higher level student completes several.  That's ok, too.  It is hard to predict how this will work out.  As long as your students are working and learning, they are progressing.
• How should I grade the work?
• As the teacher, you need to decide whether or not you feel that each student made a concerted effort to learn the material.  After trying many grading methods over the years, I recommend that you either give a completion grade adjusted appropriately for effort and accuracy, or simply give an assessment (exit ticket) and grade that.

Tips for Success:

Remember, every student doesn't learn in the same way, in the same amount of time, or by completing the same number of assignments.  

Advise students to choose lessons that are appropriate for them personally ... neither too easy nor too difficult. The goal is for them to learn, and they are all starting out at different levels!  I have rarely had a problem with students choosing activities that are too easy.  However, I so sometimes have to redirect students who select a lesson that is too difficult for them.  Remind them that if they begin at the appropriate level, they will progress much more quickly!

Here is a great space-saving way to present lesson options when differentiating!

Happy Halloween!

Teachers and kids love holidays, right?

Elementary school students learn about different holidays and often create craft projects for each.  This is simply a part of the elementary experience.  

I think middle and high school students miss celebrating each season and holiday, yet the type of craft activities they did when they were younger may not be the best choice for them.  

So, how can secondary teachers incorporate appropriate activities for older students into class?   Luckily, there are now excellent academic resources available that are focused on curriculum.  Teachers can incorporate holiday or seasonally themed activities into their class without feeling guilty about doing something "just for fun".  You can find seasonal resources that specifically address academic standards.

Check out my Jack O Lantern Freebie.  Students will add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions to figure out the halloween joke. 

For older students, Partner Power: Multi-Step Inequalities is a FREE activity I've created that provides great practice.

You can find a huge variety of academically focused lessons for any subject Teachers Pay Teachers.  

Here are my other Halloween themed products: 

Halloween Multiplying & Dividing Fractions Color by Number

 

Halloween Coordinate Graphing

Halloween Solving Two Step Equations Color by Number

Halloween One Step Equations with Mixed Operations Color by Number

Have You Tried a Color by Number Activity?

Have you tried using color by number activities in your math classroom?
 If not, maybe it's time.

Color by number activities provide valuable practice combined with the creative, yet calming, outlet of coloring.  Check out some of the benefits.  (A Google search will turn up many more.) 

Another thing to love about color by number activities is that they are self-checking.  This not only helps teachers in terms of grading, but provides a way for students to monitor their progress as they work.

I receive lots of feedback from teachers who enjoy using the finished pictures to decorate their classrooms!

And ... if you think this type of assignment is easy, think again!  A well-designed activity can be very challenging.  

I usually hand out the questions and coloring page at the same time.  However, some teachers tell me that they have students complete all of the math problems first.  Then, they hand out the coloring sheet.  Some teachers make it optional.  

Obviously, I don't use a color by number lesson every day.  However, this type of activity is a great way to change things up and keep kids engaged!

The types of pictures I've designed for my color by number activities have evolved over time.  Take a look at them here.

I have bundled all of the 71 color by number activities I've created.  For the rest of October 2017, I am having a special sale with this Color by Number Bundle, a $144 value, marked down to only $50.  This is a growing bundle, so your purchase will entitle you to receive all future color by number activities I create FREE.  Enjoy!

Why Use Stations in Secondary Classrooms?

Have you thought about using stations (math centers) in your classroom, but aren't sure if they are for you?

Do any of these questions describe you?

• How do I get started?
• What types of activities should I use?
• How many stations do I need?
• Don't stations require a lot of time to set up?
• What if I don't have a lot of space in my classroom?
• How should students rotate from station to station?
• Isn't it chaotic having students moving around the room working on different things?
• Do stations really benefit students or is this just a different teaching method?
• How am I going to grade all of that student work?

These are all great questions!

Getting Started

What types of activities should I use?

Start simple.  As you become more comfortable using stations, you can build and expand on them.  Personally, I like to incorporate variety into stations work.  Think: reading, writing, manipulatives, digital format, traditional format, puzzles, task cards, problem trails, partner and independent work, student creations, instructional videos ...  

Begin with a few activities you already have so you don't have to create everything.  This can be as simple as placing a favorite worksheet at station one, a cut and paste puzzle at station two, a set of task cards at station three, and a QR code linked to an instructional video at station four.  I've created three or four stations from one set of task cards simply by splitting them into separate topics or levels of difficulty.

How many stations do I need?

You can start with just two or three tasks if you want.  My preference is to use four to six stations.  This way, there are never more than a few students at any location at one time.  In my experience, more than six stations would take too much time for students to finish.  Of course this is largely dependent on the length of a class period, the ability level of your students, and the types of activities you decide to use.

Don't stations require a lot of time to set up?

Setting up stations should be easy.  Write the station number on a paper or card and post it where you put the materials.  Trays, file folders, tubs, any sort of containers, or a hanging file will work great to keep things organized.  Also, you can just set the materials on a counter or desk.  Sometimes, all you need is a single paper with instructions for students.  Perhaps, you want them to watch an instructional video or complete an assignment online, which saves paper and facilitates set-up.  Students can read the instructions, go to their device, and get busy.

What if I don't have a lot of space in my classroom?

In a small classroom, you do need to be creative when it comes to station set-up.  Here are some solutions that may work for you:

How should students rotate from station to station?

I know some teachers who have students remain seated and pass the materials around from group to group instead of having students move.  My preference is to place materials around the room.  Then, I assign each student to a starting location and they move along in a circular pattern.  Students move along when they are ready.  I don't time this.  Remember that more challenging stations will take more time than easier ones.  For this reason, you may require students to complete a few more questions at the easier station.

Isn't it chaotic having students moving around the room working on different things?

Most of the station work I do is independent work with an occasional partner activity included.  I've found that students focus better when working independently or with only one other person.  However, this is a personal decision each teacher makes that depends on the types of stations being used.

In my experience, station work is not at all chaotic.  (I was surprised, too!)  Kids tend to be super-focused on their own task when everyone is doing something slightly different. 😄 

Do stations really benefit students or is this just a different teaching method?

I have been won over by stations.  My students seem to accomplish more while maintaining better focus when they are doing station work.  They often solve far more problems and are more on task than when doing a traditional assignment.  Of course, we don't do this every day.  If we did, it might lose its effectiveness.  I try to incorporate stations work into each chapter in some way.  Stations can be used very effectively as review.  Adding in a "Meet with the Teacher" station will allow you to touch base with each student to provide additional support or enrichment.

How am I going to grade all of that student work?

I believe in creating stations that are mostly, if not entirely, self-checking.  This allows students to work, check, seek help as needed, and move along.  I was skeptical about how this would work when I began using stations, but it has worked very well for me.  If I grade the work, it is for completion only.

I've come to love "stations days" and I enjoy creating them.  Kids look forward to these days as well.  I hope you give this a try!  Please let me know if you have questions I can help you with by leaving a comment!

Incorporating Movement Into Your Secondary Classroom

Have you ever been in an elementary classroom and marveled at how students are scattered all over the classroom engaged in a variety of activities?  Is it hard to imagine secondary students staying as focused on tasks in a similar setting?  Have you wondered when this change, from an activity-based classroom to one in which students are primarily seated, occurs?

I can’t explain how elementary teachers are able to keep their young students on task.  However, I always wonder whether they have magically superior classroom management skills, or if little kids are so excited about school and learning that it is easier to capture and maintain their attention.  Whatever the answers to my questions might be, I don’t expect that I will ever find definitive ones.

What I do know is that class size, room design, the teenage psyche, and engaging activities play a role.  I’m sure the differences I notice between elementary and secondary classrooms have much to do with these factors.

By the way, I do think that we secondary teachers have been making strides toward creating more student-centered classrooms recently.  We are striving to incorporate more interactive, inspirational ideas into our classrooms.  (Thus, the title of my blog!)

Here are a few suggestions for those of you who are wanting to ease into a more active environment in your classrooms.

1.   Begin with baby steps.

• Choose activities that you can manage easily.
• Incorporate limited movement.  As you become more comfortable with students being out of their seats, become more adventurous.

2.   Teach routines!

      How? 

• How do you expect your students to behave as they move around the room?  
• How should the room sound?  
• How will students work … in groups or alone? 

      What? 

• What task(s) do you want students to compete?  
• What materials will they need to complete the task(s)?

      When? 

• When do you expect work to be finished?

      Where? 

• Where are materials located?  Are they at stations, loaded on your digital learning platform, ... ? 
• Where will completed work be turned in or checked?

3.   Choose opportunities for movement that can be easily 
      managed.

• One simple way to begin incorporating more movement into your classroom is by setting up a location where students may go to check completed work.  I often have them check it, bring me their paper, and report their score.  This gets kids up out of their seats.  Limit the number of students who can be at this "checking" location at one time.  It works best if they have another task to be working on while they wait their turn, or if they check during work time because all students won’t finish at once.
• Bellwork is an opportune and efficient time to get kids moving in a controlled way.  I project a Google slide listing two or three tasks for students to complete.

         Students know where answer keys and handouts 
         are located in my classroom, so they can do these 
         things quickly and quietly.

• Task card activities are perfect for easing movement into your classroom.  To begin, hand each student a card or have a few students at a time pick them up.  Put extra task cards into a container.  As students finish one card, they may check their solution, return the card to the container, select another, and return to their desk.
• Do you have students seated in groups?  Have one student pick up handouts for the entire group.  If there are other materials they will need, have a different student go get those.  Maybe a third student will bring the group’s completed papers to you, return materials, toss scraps, and so forth.
• Have you tried a problem trail?  This is another great way to get students up and moving around your room without it being chaotic.  Check some out here.

Start small and your classroom management skills, confidence, and comfort level will grow from there!

When in Doubt, Expand it Out!

I have been teaching exponent rules the past couple of weeks and that is my mantra.  I repeat it over and over, encouraging students to understand the rules.  They are often in such a rush to use a "shortcut" exponent rule, that they try to apply it before they actually understand how, why, and in what situations it works.  

Now, don't misunderstand, I actually DO want my students to learn the exponent rules and use them.  I just want them to fully understand WHY they work first.

What do YOU repeat to YOUR students over and over?

Clear Fractions and Decimals from Equations Early!

I've moved this topic to the beginning of the school year and I will always teach it at this time from now on!  I feel like it has helped my algebra students tremendously.  

By learning to clear decimals and fractions at the beginning of the algebra course, students are able to absorb the concept quickly, feel like they are learning something new as they "brush up" their equation-solving, and are able to apply it throughout the entire year.  It has become a strategy my students use often.

The textbook my school used didn't introduce clearing fractions and decimals until the systems of equations unit midyear.  This meant that students were trying to learn how to solve systems of equations and how to clear fractions and decimals at the same time.  Many of them struggled with this.  No such worries now!

If you need materials to assist you in teaching this topic, check out "Clearing Decimals & Fractions Foldable" and "Clearing Decimals & Fractions Practice". 

MATHO!

I think MATHO is my favorite review game. 

It is easy to play and kids love it!  

As a teacher, it is easy for me to set up, and I know my students are getting great practice, so it is easy to justify "game day".  It's a win for everyone!

I have made some MATHO games in which I cut questions apart, draw them from a container, and read them to students.  Others involve a student handout that is much like a study guide.  For these games, I roll a 30-sided die to randomly select problems.  You could also put slips of paper with problem numbers on them into a container and select problems that way. 

I keep track of the questions I have selected and the answers to them on the sticky note.

Yes!  An effective review ...

Students mark answers with highlighters, switching colors each round.  There are no beans all over my floor.  😜

You can find MATHO games here on a variety of middle and high school topics.  Instructions are included with the materials.  If you have an idea for one you don't see, please let me know.  I'd love to create one for you!

Here is a MATHO game about using the Pythagorean Theorem.

Multi-Step Equations with No Solution and Infinite Solutions

I’ll bet if we took a survey of the topics math teachers enjoy teaching most, solving equations would top the list. 

Actually, let’s find out how YOU feel about this.  Participate in the survey here: Create your survey with SurveyMonkey  

When I introduce equations with no solution and infinite solutions, I use these notes.  I’ve found them to be a quick way for students to compare these equations to those with one solution.  The interactive nature of the foldable notes helps to keep students focused.  Incorporating the checking of answers into the notes helps to make the rather abstract concept more concrete.  Students especially need to test multiple solutions to the infinite solution equation to help them grasp the idea, so I've included an area for that.

What next? ... Students need practice! 

Many textbooks and worksheets include very few problems with no solution or infinite solutions.  My belief is that students need a problem set that makes them think carefully about each problem.  If there is a good mix of equations having one solution, no solution, and infinite solutions, they must analyze each problem carefully.  I’ve found that textbook materials may contain only two or three special case equations in a problem set of 20-30 questions.  I want my students to have a problem set in which there are frequent examples of no solution and infinite solution.  That way, they must pause often to carefully analyze their solutions.  This increases the chances that they will actually remember what I am teaching them!  To provide more targeted practice, I created my own materials to use to teach this topic.  If you are interested, you can find them here along with the notes.

Typically, it doesn’t take very long for students to catch on to solving these sorts of equations.  However, it is very important that your students continue to see examples of no solution and infinite solution equations regularly throughout the year.  Bell work is an easy way to provide that review.

Motivate the Easy (Button) Way

It is amazing how motivating an Easy Button can be!

I've had mine ever since my husband tucked this one into my Christmas stocking several years ago.  I took it to school and it sat on my desk for a while, but was often covered by papers.  (I'm sure this never happens to anyone else, right?)  Because of this it rarely got used.  Eventually, it ended up in my desk drawer and I forgot all about it.

Last year, as I was cleaning that desk drawer, I noticed it.  Now, it is hard to look at an Easy Button and not test it out ... so, I did ... and the batteries were dead.

After replacing the batteries, I proudly set it out on my desk.  Before it got covered up with papers again, a student noticed it.  Of course, the student asked to push it.  My response was, "Get a 100% on your assignment and I'll let you do it."

Just like that, the Easy Button became a wonderful motivational tool.  Middle school kids put extra effort into their work just so they could push the Easy button!

Now, the Staples Easy Button is a staple in my classroom!  

Back to School: This is Me Presentations

Over the years I've tried an endless number of get-to-know you activities with my students.  Some were good... some not so good.

This year, I tried something a bit different and loved how it turned out!  I really need to stick with this as a Back to School activity.

I simply called it "This is Me".  It is not a particularly unique idea, but the execution worked great for me.

First, I created a short Prezi to introduce myself to my students.  (FYI: This is the first Prezi I've ever created, I narrated as I was presenting which is why some information may not seem complete, and I only showed a short part of the video that is included.)  You could use any format to tell the kids about yourself.  At the end, I gave them the challenge "This is me.  Now, tell me about you!"  

The only additional instructions were to keep it short (2-5 minutes) and that any format, paper or digital, could be used.

I gave students a few days to create, and then spent a few minutes at the beginning of the class period for presentations.  With about thirty students per class, this took 20-30 minutes per day for three days to complete.

It was so worth the time!  Presentations took the form of posters with photos and drawings, Prezis, Keynotes, iMovies, and creations using various apps.

I definitely learned more about my students than I normally do in a whole school year! For example:

• I can tell you who my artists, music lovers, digital experts, and athletes are.
• One student showed a "Three Stooges" video clip because he loves to watch the old black and white movies.  How else would I ever have learned that?  Also, the other students loved it!
• I have students who have spent years living in other countries and some who spend summers in other countries.
• I learned about foster families, adoptions, mission trips, family ancestry, baptisms, family members, pets, 4-H, scouts, athletic accomplishments and more.
• A number of my students moved to the United States from other countries and/or have relatives who live in other countries.
• One student produced a unique iMovie using a puppet.  Is she a budding actress or movie producer?

Passions and interests of all sorts were shared.  This was so eye-opening for me!  As a math teacher, class does not often lend itself to having of discussions that reveal this sort of information. 

One more thought to consider ...  I had a student last year who had just moved to my very large school and did not know anyone.  She came to me one day after class and asked me if I knew anyone who was interested in (fill in the blank).  She said that she was "looking around" to find other students with similar interests and hadn't noticed anyone.  Could I help?  

Now, students may not usually approach a teacher in this way and ask for assistance in identifying potential friends.  However, as students were giving their "This is Me" presentations, I wondered if classmates were listening and watching for opportunities to make connections.  I hope it helped someone out there in my classes who was feeling lonely to connect with someone.

Memorizing Perfect Squares

There are times when memorizing information in math class can be so helpful!

In elementary school, students are frequently given timed tests over multiplication tables and other basic facts.  Sometimes, timed tests are appropriate for secondary students, too.  

I have my middle school students memorize the perfect squares from 1 to 400.  Quick recall of perfect squares is especially beneficial when using the Pythagorean Theorem and when simplifying radicals.

Perfect Square and Square Root Flashcards

Good old-fashioned flashcards are a great tool for memorization of facts!  I have created these FREE flashcards.  

I like copying them on colored card stock, which I've found lasts better over time than laminated cards.  Here they are in use: 

 

It has been my experience that one minute fifteen seconds or a minute and a half is an appropriate amount of time to allow for a timed quiz over perfect squares.  It is long enough for students who know the information to answer all of the questions, yet not so much time that they can just multiply to get the answers rather than recall them from memory.

If you don't want to make your own quizzes, mine are available here.  Six versions of the quiz and four practice quizzes are included.  

I upload the practice quizzes to my school's learning management system for students to use to prepare.  They import them into Notability which makes it easy for them to duplicate for LOTS of practice! 

The actual quizzes I give are on paper.  I tend to give them to my entire class three or four times and then record the best score each student has achieved.  You can certainly continue giving the quizzes until mastery is achieved if that is your goal.

Does anyone else still give memory quizzes to secondary students?  If so, what do you have them memorize?

Word Problems: Rational Number Calculations

Do you have that one standard you always feel you could teach more effectively?  

For me, it is this one:
Indiana Academic Standards
8.C.1: Solve real-world problems with rational numbers by using multiple operations.

Here is the related Common Core standard:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.NS.A.3
Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers.

Part of my issue with this standard is simply that I can't find enough word problems.  If you are like me, it is a difficult task to gather enough word problems to provide an adequate amount of practice using all of the various forms of rational numbers.  I'll need to incorporate both positive and negative numbers in the form of integers, fractions, and decimals. Also, if my students are to truly master this standard, they will need to do a fair amount of problems including these types of rational numbers.

After lots of fruitless digging around searching for the type of multistep problems I need, I decided to write them myself.  I've created a set of twenty task cards with word problems that focus on rational number calculations.  Most of the task cards include multiple questions.

I have created these word problems to resemble those that may appear on standardized tests requiring students to apply skills. This is a challenging set of task cards that will make your students think!

Rational Number Calculations Word Problems

I'm planning to dive right in with these this year!  (I'll let you know how it goes.)  Students entering my pre-algebra and algebra classes should be able to calculate with rational numbers.  I am beginning the year by encouraging them to show me what they already know ... no reviewing!  

I do plan to allow students to use resources such as the skills review materials that go along with their textbook, or an online tutorial or video lesson.  Then, they can ask me for help if they still have questions.  I will reteach material to individuals or in small groups as needed.  I expect to learn a lot about my new students through this activity!

Sometimes, I think we don't require students to be responsible for what they have previously learned.  Instead, we assume they haven't mastered concepts.  I believe this is why teachers often begin each year by reviewing.  The problem is ... doing this communicates to students that they really don't have to learn the content because we'll reteach it anyway.  They become "lazy learners".  I want my students to know that learning what I am teaching is expected.  Yes, each student will learn at a different pace, but everyone should be actively involved in the learning process.  After all, this engagement is what I hope will result in retention of the material and that is the goal!