I haven't blogged in a couple of weeks. I guess I haven't really decided whether blogging is an integral part of my professional practice and growth or if it's more of a passion project for me to goof around with in my free time or when I'm procrastinating. The last two weeks I've chosen the latter. … Continue reading Why do I blog? Why do I teach?

On the first day of school, I gave my students notecards with their table number. On that card, I asked for their name, 2 examples of everyday problems, and 2 examples of everyday creativity. I gave minimal guidance about what an "everyday problem" or "everyday creativity" is. I took the results and turned them into … Continue reading Everyday

A few weeks ago, I went to a workshop at BU focused on productive discussions in high school math classrooms. I learned some good stuff, but most importantly, discussions have gotten stuck in my head. I now value discussion – alongside engagement, rigor, and access – as I plan and execute my lessons. I also … Continue reading Reflections on Math Teacher Training

1. Dan Meyer's 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 ... strategy to earn students' attention Getting students' attention in order to transition from group/individual work to whole-class discussion is a classroom management problem that's been bugging me for two years. I've seen and rejected several solutions to this problem because I didn't think I could pull them off; I fear … Continue reading This Year, I’m Excited to Try …

7. Letting my classwork policy evolve In the first quarter, I graded almost all of the classwork that I had my students do. It was exhausting and pointless. I was only grading for completion or "effort," and my standards were low for both. In quarters two and three, I tried to collect a random sampling, … Continue reading The Best Things I Did Last Year

There is a certain feeling I get all the time as a math teacher, especially when I'm reading blogs. My colleague and I gave it a name, and it has become a staple of my vocabulary. Here is my best attempt at defining it. Definition: A person experiences intellectual vindication when they are grappling with an unrefined idea, and they … Continue reading Intellectual Vindication