Week 1 Teaching Algebra

Taking into account how students learn today I feel can be a great way to adapt your teaching to your students. Well this week was as good as any to take a step back and look at what my students were getting out of math class. Since becoming a math teacher I have found out that change not detla (change in) is a common theme. I had my lessons lined out for the week and then I found out that my students needed to take a work sample and a district assessment. I had planned on starting quadratics on Monday but not any more. So I postponed the new unit to get the assessments out of the way. On Wednesday I was able to start the new unit but I don't think my students were. Back to back days of testing and now new material. Understanding this I made sure to take it slow Wednesday and Thursday and have a review day Friday. Well what would you know that a snow day came on Thursday. What a messed up week. Once again change. On Friday I broke down how to factor quadratics for the second time in 3 days. This style of math is taught so differently now, quadratics and factoring that is. They teach the students about the product (multiplication answer) and sum (addition answer). From there they give students a box with four areas and ask them to find the product and sum. They are supposed to find the greatest common factor of one of the columns then find the area to each box. It seams simple enough when worked out in front of you. Some of the things I noticed were my students were getting greatest common factor mixed up with least common multiple. I had to find three different ways to restate the question to get all the students on the same page. I think naturally students understand they cant combine an x squared with an x unless you multiple. They had not made the jump to dividing. Can't wait to see what next week brings.