Math Squirrels

34 years teaching elementary, middle, and high school students; Middle School and High School Math Certification; Gifted Endorsement

Learn by doing! Does the class period feel too short to go over last night’s homework solutions, answer questions, teach the new lesson, and do some practice so your students aren’t totally lost at home? Have you gotten frustrated with teaching a lesson while your students take copious notes, only to find that they are unable to do the homework? Are your students’ parents frustrated because they can’t help their students at home? Are your students simply not doing homework? Do you constantly wonder how you can cover ALL your standards in one school year? Yup! That was my story, too! Something had to give! I realized that the most effective use of my class time was practice – guided and with immediate feedback. So, when do I teach the lesson? I do it within the practice! The constant repetitive practice that we do in class is the great equalizer. It levels the playing field for students who have no access to help at home, for those who work jobs and have no time for homework, for those with learning disabilities who really need a teacher nearby when they are practicing, and for those who believe they are naturally bad at math when really they just need consistent doses of success. Immediate, positive, constructive feedback is powerful! “My child likes math again,” and “I’ve never been good at math, but I get this stuff!” are things I hear often. It’s music to my ears! All it takes is to make the majority of your class time guided practice, practice, practice.