Today was my first day in middle school and it was a very interesting day. Middle school is a lot different than the elementary day I was used to. I enjoyed my elementary school experience, but I think I am going to also enjoy my middle school experience from what I experienced today. It was sort of nice to only focus on one content area today instead of having to focus on all subjects. We will see how the rest of the weeks goes, but I had a good day today.
This week is sort of a work week in my math classroom and I did not have much of a chance to give feedback. Students just finished a math unit last week and took a unit test. This week Zoe is taking time to review some math concepts and switch to a new math book. Students will also take a preassessment on Thursday. Due to the review week, I mostly got to work with students on worksheet problems today. I worked with one student during 4th hour and helped her complete problems on multiplying fractions. I gave her some feedback and methods for completing problems in an easier way given the work I had seen from her. She was able to take my advice and complete the problems in a different way. She could reduce some of her fractions first and then multiple. Then when turning the answers into mixed numbers they were smaller and easier to work with.
Thanks for finding a way to update us on your first day while having to write about feedback! I'm sure the changed rhythm of middle school compared to elementary school will be a refreshing change, and that there are features of each setting you'll like better and worse for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteHow did Zoe introduce you to each class? Were the kids receptive to a new face in the room? It sounds like the girl you helped in 4th hour was more than happy to have you there. With math, giving feedback is a special challenge, but when done well, it teaches you more about how to scaffold assistance to lead kids toward an answer. We should strive for this purposeful, graduated support regardless of the content area in which we're offering help, but math gives a more obvious opportunity to practice.
Do you have a sense of when you'll first teach something on your own?