Tips for a first-time HS teacher?

[danzibr]

In a few weeks I'll be teaching HS for the first time... basically.
6 years a go I got a BA in Math Ed and a BS in Math. I did my student teaching, but rather than teach HS right away, I went to get a PhD in math, and as a grad student I taught many college classes (something like 60 sections total, from Intermediate Algebra to Calc 3). The main reason I'm teaching HS now is because my wife and I (and our 2 kids) are living near her family, and there are no universities nearby. Plus, I think I'll like it.
I'll be teaching at a small HS, replacing their department head, so I get all the best classes. Class size is ~10, 6 classes, 1 prep. I can give more details on that, if desired.

Questions
Maybe you're a HS teacher, or maybe you were a HS student once. Any pointers?

Current plans

Seating chart
Having grading be completion, done in class
Cell phone usage -> lost points and I take it until the end of the school day
Talk after you turn your test in -> lost points
Tests modeled after ACT and SAT (primarily multiple choice, 1-2 work out)
Have stuff like Rubik's Cubes and chess sets for before/after school and special days
Make videos via EduCreations to put online for students to see if they miss
Make notes available online for students to see if they miss
Bell work every day
Lots of EC opportunities, but by golly you'll have to work for it
Require use of Anki
Mix of calculator and non-calculator (personally I don't like them at all, but hey, they're handy)
Work can be done individually or with a partner (person next to you). No large groups.

And uhh... that's all that comes to mind.

EDIT: Also, I'm interested in banks of multiple choice questions (preferably a .tex file, but I doubt I'll find one) from standardized tests. I've found a few via google, but no huge banks. Any good sites?

[Amidus Drexel]

In a few weeks I'll be teaching HS for the first time... basically.
6 years a go I got a BA in Math Ed and a BS in Math. I did my student teaching, but rather than teach HS right away, I went to get a PhD in math, and as a grad student I taught many college classes (something like 60 sections total, from Intermediate Algebra to Calc 3). The main reason I'm teaching HS now is because my wife and I (and our 2 kids) are living near her family, and there are no universities nearby. Plus, I think I'll like it.
I'll be teaching at a small HS, replacing their department head, so I get all the best classes. Class size is ~10, 6 classes, 1 prep. I can give more details on that, if desired.

Questions
Maybe you're a HS teacher, or maybe you were a HS student once. Any pointers?

Current plans

Seating chart
Having grading be completion, done in class
Cell phone usage -> lost points and I take it until the end of the school day
Talk after you turn your test in -> lost points
Tests modeled after ACT and SAT (primarily multiple choice, 1-2 work out)
Have stuff like Rubik's Cubes and chess sets for before/after school and special days
Make videos via EduCreations to put online for students to see if they miss
Make notes available online for students to see if they miss
Bell work every day
Lots of EC opportunities, but by golly you'll have to work for it
Require use of Anki/flashcards
Mix of calculator and non-calculator (personally I don't like them at all, but hey, they're handy)

And uhh... that's all that comes to mind.

Hrm... I agree with most of that (especially the chess sets). The only things I would personally do differently:

Seating charts: Change them up several times over the course of the school year, if you even bother with them at all.

Flash cards: Always annoyed the hell out of me when a teacher required me to buy some extra things to write on and remember to bring that I never used. I'm sure they help some people, but people like me are just going to take a 0 on that grade.

Cell phones: Don't make a big deal about it unless your kids make it into a problem. Tell 'em to keep them away while you're lecturing or they're working, but otherwise it probably doesn't matter.

[danzibr]

Algol system. Nice reference.
Hrm... I agree with most of that (especially the chess sets). The only things I would personally do differently:

Seating charts: Change them up several times over the course of the school year, if you even bother with them at all.

Flash cards: Always annoyed the hell out of me when a teacher required me to buy some extra things to write on and remember to bring that I never used. I'm sure they help some people, but people like me are just going to take a 0 on that grade.

Cell phones: Don't make a big deal about it unless your kids make it into a problem. Tell 'em to keep them away while you're lecturing or they're working, but otherwise it probably doesn't matter.
Right. I should've mentioned I'll probably use the seating chart for 2 weeks, until I learn their names and we get to know one another a little. If I'm sure they're a good group, I'll let them sit wherever.

And for the flash cards... yeah, good point. I really want to promote the use of Anki, just because it's such an awesome program.

[Amidus Drexel]

Algol system. Nice reference.

And for the flash cards... yeah, good point. I really want to promote the use of Anki, just because it's such an awesome program.

:smallcool:

Hrm... you know, I've never used Anki. Perhaps offer a couple extra credit points for flash cards?

[Pie Guy]

Honestly, don't bother with seating charts. They always annoyed me in high school, and I don't see the benefit given the tiny class sizes. Also, what is bell work?

Edit: also, don't just have repetitive algebra and exercises, throw in a few geometric proofs.

[Anarion]

For what it's worth, I think it's a bad idea to tie a student's behavioral issues (like pulling out cellphones or talking after a test) to the student's grades. It's unfair and misses the point of what a class is supposed to teach: if the student learns the material properly, they should receive a grade that reflects that.

Separately, if you feel that a student is disrupting the class, engaging in any kind of cheating, or just have no tolerance for distractions like cell phones, you can have behavioral punishments, which can be anything from a mild reprimand to confiscating the item, to sending the kid to the principal for more severe discipline. Certainly, if you think any of the kids are actually cheating, you should escalate that because cheating is one of those things that's NOT OKAY.

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents for consideration.

[Pie Guy]

Also also, "Having grading be completion, done in class"? Can you reword that?

[Hiro Protagonest]

Have stuff like Rubik's Cubes and chess sets for before/after school and special days

You know what's missing from every classroom board game collection? Settlers of Catan. :smalltongue:

[Scorpina]

Based on the time I spent as a high school teaching assistant, I have the following advice to offer.

Watch your back: The kids (okay, let's be fair, some of the kids will use any advantage they can to tear you down. Don't be fooled into letting them know your first name, address, that sort of thing, lest it be used against you.

Expect hormones: No matter what, at least one of your students is going to want to have sex with you. Now, if you're lucky, they'll keep it to themselves and the most you'll have to worry about is wandering eyes. If you're unlucky... well, that can be pretty bad. I speak from experience (uh, both ways actually.) Point number one comes in pretty handy here.

Be aware that rumours will eat you alive if you let them - and the staff room can be a hotbed of them.

Don't make friends: To a certain degree, it's okay - even useful - for the students to like you, but it's important to maintain the appropriate distance in the relationship. If you let it lapse you risk losing the respect of your students (not the ones you make friends with so much as ones who know you're friends with so-and-so). Conversely.

Don't be an authoritatian ****: Being strict is fine. Some of the best teachers I've known - both as a student and a TA - have been the strictest. The danger is taking it too far. If you ever, as someone I know did, find yourself actively coming up with reasons to punish kids, you're in trouble. Enforcing the rules is one thing, but it's important to know when you're straying beyond that territory.

Lastly, and probably most importantly...

Be thick skinned: You are going to be insulted. To your face. You will overhear, and be informed of, much worse things said about you behind your back. You're going to be teased, mocked and made fun of. Don't let it get to you, and try and remember that your teachers probably suffered through the same.

They're just children, and you have to accept that and everything that comes with it. As I said above, showing weakness is death - if you let them know they've got to you, you're in big trouble - so even if you do get upset, being able to hide it is a very useful skill.

[Knaight]

Based on the time I spent as a high school teaching assistant, I have the following advice to offer.

Watch your back: The kids (okay, let's be fair, some of the kids will use any advantage they can to tear you down. Don't be fooled into letting them know your first name, address, that sort of thing, lest it be used against you.

First name, really? Not broadcasting your address is one thing, but there's no reason to keep your first name hidden. Particularly as this sounds like a school less likely to have these issues (small class size and such tends to be an indicator of that).

As for the tests, I'd recommend avoiding multiple choice - not completely, but at least mostly. As much as getting used to the standardized formula has its uses, from a pedagogical standpoint they tend not to be nearly as useful at seeing what students have learned, or at getting students to think and practice on the test itself.

[Scorpina]

First name, really? Not broadcasting your address is one thing, but there's no reason to keep your first name hidden. Particularly as this sounds like a school less likely to have these issues (small class size and such tends to be an indicator of that).

In and of itself, it's fairly harmless if a few kids - or even a lot of kids, I guess - know your first name. I think a few of them knew mine, and I had no trouble personally.

One of my coworkers, however, ran into trouble when - by finding out her first name - some of the kids were able to find her Facebook account.

Which I suppose is another thing to be aware of: lock any traceable online presence down as much as humanly possible, or - at the very least - behave yourself online.

[Knaight]

In and of itself, it's fairly harmless if a few kids - or even a lot of kids, I guess - know your first name. I think a few of them knew mine, and I had no trouble personally.

One of my coworkers, however, ran into trouble when - by finding out her first name - some of the kids were able to find her Facebook account.

Which I suppose is another thing to be aware of: lock any traceable online presence down as much as humanly possible, or - at the very least - behave yourself online.

I can say that I knew all of my teachers first names - I don't anymore (I tend to only remember the teachers that I either really liked or really disliked, and if I remember the first name they are probably in the former category), but I did at the time. So did my classmates. This never caused an issue. Heck, a number of my teachers are Facebook friends with former students - it's made clear that this is only after graduation, and everything works fine.

Now, I was in a pretty good school, and in the IB enclave in that school (it's like AP, but where every class* has to be AP and there's a bunch of stuff on top of it), so it's hardly a representative sample. Still, given the class sizes given I suspect it's a reasonable analog for where the OP will be working.

*Other than electives and PE.

[sktarq]

A couple things. . . Be very consistent about grading and returning the kids work. What I mean is having a visible standard -preferably a standard you can show to them on the first day. Holding the kids to it but also having a standard for yourself and hold yourself to yours too. So say if you have an problem set due each Wednesday and you think you'll be able to have them graded on Friday-you may want to make it Monday but hit it each and every time. The faster you can make that turn around time the better as when students see you working hard for them they are far more likely to work for you.

I know one thing I found with Math in particular is that it is a subject where people have a harder time via not connecting with what the teacher says more than the subject itself. Hopefully you've worked out various ways of looking at math that connect to people of various mindsets.

Schedule extra time to deal with bureaucratic time wasting.

[Crow]

Don't sleep with your students.

[Randomguy]

I'm not sure if flash card learning is a good idea in a math class. Flash cards are great for memorization, but in high school math there isn't a lot of memorization. There's really just the formulas, and those are best memorized by doing practice problems, not by using flash cards.

Some goes for multiple choice: As far as I know, it doesn't fit that well with math. In all the high school math classes I've taken, only a small part of the tests were multiple choice. There's no real reason to give 5 possible answers to a word problem, except for making marking easier. Making students show their work lets you give part marks, and doesn't let them guess an answer.



For what it's worth, I think it's a bad idea to tie a student's behavioral issues (like pulling out cellphones or talking after a test) to the student's grades. It's unfair and misses the point of what a class is supposed to teach: if the student learns the material properly, they should receive a grade that reflects that.


Quoted for the truth.

[Starwulf]

Making students show their work lets you give part marks, and doesn't let them guess an answer.


I hated that idea in highschool. What in the bloody hell is the point in making a student show the work? If you can figure out the answer to the problem in your head, then why should the student get marked down for it? Or what if the student did things differently(but still kinda similar) in solving the problem, and always got the right answer, are you really going to penalize the student for thinking differently? Because I did that a lot as well, and I HATED that I'd lose partial credit for solving the problem differently. I mean, I can understand if you are in college, but in highschool? It's just ridiculous ><

[Crow]

For what it's worth, I think it's a bad idea to tie a student's behavioral issues (like pulling out cellphones or talking after a test) to the student's grades. It's unfair and misses the point of what a class is supposed to teach: if the student learns the material properly, they should receive a grade that reflects that.

He is the teacher, it is not fair to him if a student is disrupting his class. It is unfair to the other students in the class if the disruption leads to them not receiving the educational attention they deserve. Disruptive students can negatively impact the grades of those around them.

The question should not be if the punishment is fair. The question should be if it is warranted, and if it is effective.

For some students of course, no punishment will be effective. With others, you have to find what is. It should at least be left on the table as a possible result. Maybe as a second or third step after other options have failed. Provided it is administered in a uniform and methodical manner, and the students know that this is something that will happen at a certain step, I see no problem with it, because it has become their choice.

I was one of those students who was disruptive AND got excellent grades. As an adult, I feel a little bad now about wasting the time of other students who didn't pick things up as easily as I did. I didn't care about detentions, notes home, in-house, or any of that. But if you started messing with my grades as a result...yeah I could shape up a little for you.

Edit: I also totally agree with making students show their work. It is not the answer that matters, but showing that you have learned how to arrive at the answer. I didn't like it either, but I am grateful for the teachers that made me do it, now that I am an old man. If you can arrive at an answer easily, it is no big deal to show how you did it. If you arrived at it in a different manner than normal, just show that.

[Aedilred]

I hated that idea in highschool. What in the bloody hell is the point in making a student show the work? If you can figure out the answer to the problem in your head, then why should the student get marked down for it? Or what if the student did things differently(but still kinda similar) in solving the problem, and always got the right answer, are you really going to penalize the student for thinking differently? Because I did that a lot as well, and I HATED that I'd lose partial credit for solving the problem differently. I mean, I can understand if you are in college, but in highschool? It's just ridiculous ><

Having to show the working used to frustrate me too, but I can see the point. Given the point is to teach, it's more important in the long run to ensure that students know how to do it than that they can sometimes guess the right answer, and they should be encouraged to learn the process. If they don't show the work, you have no idea whether they understand: they could have memorised a small group of answers and were lucky one came up; they could be guessing; they could be cheating.

Even so, I probably wouldn't mark students down for not showing the working, although I would encourage them to do so. But I would give some marks (or credit, or whatever you call it) for showing the correct working and going on to get the final answer wrong due to a clerical error or the like.

[danzibr]

Thanks for the responses, all. I have a few responses.

Also also, "Having grading be completion, done in class"? Can you reword that?
I will grade primarily based on completion (though let them know what they messed up). I'll check their stuff in class, and use a grading app on my iPad.

I'm not sure if flash card learning is a good idea in a math class. Flash cards are great for memorization, but in high school math there isn't a lot of memorization. There's really just the formulas, and those are best memorized by doing practice problems, not by using flash cards.
It is a good idea. Keep in mind I've taught college math the past 6 years. What I've found is that incoming students are incredibly lacking in their math vocabulary. What's the difference between an expression and an equation? What's the quadratic formula again? Wait, what's the difference between the quadratic formula and a quadratic equation? That sort of stuff.

It'd be like learning Spanish and only knowing how to conjugate verbs.

Some goes for multiple choice: As far as I know, it doesn't fit that well with math. In all the high school math classes I've taken, only a small part of the tests were multiple choice. There's no real reason to give 5 possible answers to a word problem, except for making marking easier. Making students show their work lets you give part marks, and doesn't let them guess an answer.
This, unfortunately, is based off ACT, SAT and EOC.

He is the teacher, it is not fair to him if a student is disrupting his class. It is unfair to the other students in the class if the disruption leads to them not receiving the educational attention they deserve. Disruptive students can negatively impact the grades of those around them.

The question should not be if the punishment is fair. The question should be if it is warranted, and if it is effective.
Agreed.

Also, for the separating points from behavioral stuff, what about participation points?

[FinnLassie]

I have no experience of American school, but having been a youngling in school myself I think I'll have some pointers. I'm also studying to become a primary level teacher with an interest on continuity between primary & secondary.



I'll be teaching at a small HS, replacing their department head, so I get all the best classes. Class size is ~10, 6 classes, 1 prep. I can give more details on that, if desired.


Emphasis mine. I'm a little confused. Do you mean the advanced skills classes? If so, I have to say please avoid saying it's the "best class". It's a rather old fashioned way of looking at education, and belittles young people and their advancements in the other skill level groups.



Current plans

Seating chart
Cell phone usage -> lost points and I take it until the end of the school day
Tests modeled after ACT and SAT (primarily multiple choice, 1-2 work out)
Have stuff like Rubik's Cubes and chess sets for before/after school and special days
Make videos via EduCreations to put online for students to see if they miss
Make notes available online for students to see if they miss
Mix of calculator and non-calculator (personally I don't like them at all, but hey, they're handy)
Work can be done individually or with a partner (person next to you). No large groups.



Seating plans: Only to be used if there are classroom management issues. I remember some of my teachers having us make big name tags to keep on our desks for the first two or three lessons to learn them... after that we were sure memorable. :smalltongue: One of my maths teachers actually always called almost every single one in the classroom to answer something in the beginning of each course - she just looked at the name from the list, said it, and then checked who answered it. You learn names surprisingly quick.
Mobile phones: Follow school policy.
Tests modeled after ACT & SAT: Mixed feelings, mostly because ACT & SAT are so foreign and alien to me as concepts, as well as multiple choice. The last time I had multiple choice in maths was in elementary school, and I hated them.
Rubic cubes and other fun stuff: Have them at all times. Yes. Get all sorts of mathematical puzzles and games too, for individuals and groups. We use them so much in primary school, but hell, I would have enjoyed my school so much more if we had opportunities to put all them maths & problem solving skills into touchable contexts while counting all that crap. I know you likely have an advanced class, but still, these things can be eye opening to some if they struggle.
Putting notes and such online for absentees: Mixed feelings. Our policy was to get the notes from our peers, although the teacher was willing to assist if you had a valid reason to be off. Well, they did help in all cases, just not as much if you missed class for no valid reason. I didn't like this way too much, though, since I was often late & missed out on things.
Calculator & Mental Maths: YEASSSSSSSS. Make them kids do them mental maths. Honestly, it's such an important skill and something that actually helps with information processing. But please, use calculators too. They're exciting things, and I loved using my ultra hyper cool graphic calculator during classes. :smallcool: mainly because I had downloaded some calculator games in it
Doing work individually or as pairs: When I was in school, we were always encouraged to aid and ask help from our peers during maths, so this is a good way of going. Max. people meddling with the same problem together was always three. You just need to be observant of the fact that the kids aren't always helping each other... But you'll learn class relationships and dynamics soon enough. Don't hesitate to separate the teens from each other when necessary.



Bell work every day
Require use of Anki

Extra: What the hell is Anki, what the hell is bell work. :smalltongue: *mutters and googles at some point*

[Aedilred]

Emphasis mine. I'm a little confused. Do you mean the advanced skills classes? If so, I have to say please avoid saying it's the "best class". It's a rather old fashioned way of looking at education, and belittles young people and their advancements in the other skill level groups.
I would assume he means "most enjoyable to teach". Which probably does overlap substantively with "most advanced students", since that's where the most articulate, engaged and most knowledgeable students tend to be found.

[FinnLassie]

I would assume he means "most enjoyable to teach". Which probably does overlap substantively with "most advanced students", since that's where the most articulate, engaged and most knowledgeable students tend to be found.

Well, that's where I have to disagree, since I don't really agree with most enjoyable being the most advanced. The most enjoyable pupils to teach are the ones with passion, which every child should have. If not, it's one of your jobs as a teacher to get that passion growing (and if needed, by cooperating with parents, the whole school, local community, etc, but that's digging a bit deep for today :smalltongue:).

[Asta Kask]

Everyone involved - teachers, students, and parents (but most of all teachers and students) is necessary. I would at least leave the possibility open that there are kids who won't be enthused by anything that can be reasonably done by a teacher. That's not a disaster, of course - not everyone needs to be an academic.

[Amidus Drexel]

I hated that idea in highschool. What in the bloody hell is the point in making a student show the work? If you can figure out the answer to the problem in your head, then why should the student get marked down for it? Or what if the student did things differently(but still kinda similar) in solving the problem, and always got the right answer, are you really going to penalize the student for thinking differently? Because I did that a lot as well, and I HATED that I'd lose partial credit for solving the problem differently. I mean, I can understand if you are in college, but in highschool? It's just ridiculous ><

It helps to see how a student got the correct answer. I will agree that I strongly dislike being asked to solve a problem in a specific way (or being required to show work to get full credit), but showing your work gives the teacher the ability to assign you partial credit for working parts of it out.

This is less relevant to say, low-level algebra as it is to calculus, perhaps, but I think the point still stands.

[Madcrafter]

I would say definitely go with part marking for work shown. It gives students who don't get answers right but have the process down the chance to salvage their grades a bit instead of always being out of luck on those questions. As for one of the comments above, I have never heard of someone losing marks because their process was the "wrong" way, or for not showing work if they got the answer right (unless they were obviously cheating or something).

Tied into that, I would probably want to stay away from the multiple choice questions. The main reason I see for doing them is if you want to pump a bunch more questions into a test, or because it is faster and easier to mark (especially if your school has a Scantron machine). It is nice that you are trying to prepare them for standardized tests, but a long answer word question where you can show where they went wrong is more valuable a a learning tool, and if they are going to take SATs/ACT they'll be prepping on their own too, they'll do plenty of multiple choice questions already.

Calculators. I can see staying away from them mainly for the lower grades and some subject areas where they would render the learning trivial, but do make sure they come up at some point, and maybe go as far as teaching students how to use some of the more advanced functionality (plotting, statistics, equation solver). I've seen people in university that were at a significant disadvantage simply because they didn't know of some function or another their calculator could do, and they're nearly ubiquitous tools out side of a school environment.

Participation points: eh, stay away I think. In small doses they won't matter enough to those who really don't want to participate, and if you make them significant enough to be punitive that's grossly unfair to those who have issues participating (which this being high school, will probably be most people, even if they don't show it) or those who are struggling with course content.

Also vote yes to making sure you are very consistent on marking times. That's really nice to have.

Finally, if you can, I would try and include a math project of some sort. One of the most engaged I remember being in math was doing my IB internal assessment, which was sort of an individual math project that involved some more creative thinking than is typical in math class. Pattern generalization, modelling, that sort of thing. And that is saying something, since I spent basically every math class for grades 11/12 doing the crossword and sudoku out of the daily newspaper instead of listening to the teacher (who was remarkably fine with it, since it didn't distract anyone else).

EDIT: Maybe someone else can chime in on this: letting the students know you have a PhD? I think that would be a net positive, but that is biased personal experience based on the one teacher at my high school who was Dr. --- instead of Mr./Ms. ---, and who everyone though was super cool and smart (and who was really mostly an administrator, I think he taught maybe one/two classes every few years).

[Knaight]

Calculator & Mental Maths: YEASSSSSSSS. Make them kids do them mental maths. Honestly, it's such an important skill and something that actually helps with information processing. But please, use calculators too. They're exciting things, and I loved using my ultra hyper cool graphic calculator during classes. :smallcool: mainly because I had downloaded some calculator games in it

What I've found tends to work fairly well is having designated calculator work which is not particularly feasible to do without a calculator. Say that you're teaching about systems of equations and finding where lines overlap (I think that's in Algebra 1). The non-calculator part can have questions that require the skills, but generally involve slopes of easy fractions, overlap points that are on simple coordinates like (1/2, -5), etc. The calculator part could then have something like finding where y=104.765x+876.23 and y=47.931x-293.76 intersect. A teacher in college handled this by having a two part test - you have a calculator and non-calculator part, on different colored paper (so it's easy to see which part a student is on). You have to turn in the non-calculator part before you take out your calculator, but you can see what is on the calculator part and do the parts of it that don't require calculators before turning in the non-calculator part, which makes balancing time between the two of them easier.

Then there's statistics, where even basic statistics tend to be best done on a calculator. Finding the mean and standard deviation of 200 data points by hand is a waste of everyone's time.

[sktarq]

It helps to see how a student got the correct answer. I will agree that I strongly dislike being asked to solve a problem in a specific way (or being required to show work to get full credit), but showing your work gives the teacher the ability to assign you partial credit for working parts of it out.

The problem comes when it actively hurts people's ability to do math. I know I have left a year long HS math class with a lower level ability than when I started (And had just aced my math SAT I and II's) than when I wen in. Trying to work it out the way the teacher wanted left me unable to do it his way or my way. I was horrible at math for years after-only a great TA a couple years later gave me extra help to learn how see calculus in a way my mind works. I went from D and F to strait A's for the rest of the semester in a couple hours worth of private teaching. Until then, and still today, my work would have been a certain shade of blue, billy idol's hair point shape, the scent of burnt meat, the answer because that is how my mind works-and for years it work extremely well. Most math teachers I've had don't seem to share an understanding of how that could possibly work (and I've always assumed self selected towards a limited collection of mental styles to produce disproportionate self referencing communities). In college the students taking math classes (depending of on what your definition of Intermediate Algebra is collegiate Algebra being the beast that it is) is going to be more likely one that already shares more traits with the "common" mindsets that a more random group of HS students who are there because it is a requirement to graduate.

also a thing a couple of my best teachers have used. daily mini-quizes first thing. In our AP classes we even graded each other. Even if you missed it it wouldn't really hurt yo grade but really pushed people to study the topic ahead of time, get in the mindset, and the review of the problem gave both opening for people to ask question, snapped you out of it if you didn't know you hadn't gotten it, and got people thinking in the subject in first minute. Plus as it was the first thing we did it covered a lot of the attendance issues.

[SowZ]

I always preferred projects to tests, and research assignments where the paper is graded more on your knowledge of the subject and less on how well it is written. Though that is probably better for science and such as opposed to English, but if I was a teacher I'd teach science.

[AtlanteanTroll]

It all depends on what subset of students you'll be teaching. Realize a lot of students just won't care, especially if it's not an honors/AP/IB class.

Giving partial credit for showing how a student got did work helps students who legitimately try, and also discourages use of calculators to do anything more than time-saving, otherwise easy sorts of equations. Depending on the class, calculators will probably be mandatory for some bits. I think every math class I took in HS required I own a TI 83 Graphing Calculator for some bit.

I also echo the bit about staying away from multiple choice. Or at least, reserve it for the final/midterm if you're really set on ACT/SAT prep. Generally speaking, it's lazy for the teachers and it discourages students from doing the work. "Oh, A looks right, let's not bother with the B, C, & D. The test is timed and I need to get to question 16."

As for flashcards, they really won't help the kids learn the equations, or so was my experience. The sort of thing you seem to want to come out of flashcards comes from repetition, not memorization. That said, flashcards are still great. The best math teacher I ever had let students take a flashcard into the final (and midterm, I think?), where they were allowed to write whatever they wanted, provided they kept a certain average grade for the entirety of the year up till that point.

I can see how some teachers would disprove of that, but if you've demonstrated you basically know your stuff as a student, it's the worst thing in the world to go into the final knowing all the recent and more difficult things, and then realizing you've blanked on some formula that was only relevant for the first three units of class.

EDIT:
A thing a couple of my best teachers have used: daily mini-quizzes first thing. In our AP classes we even graded each other. Even if you missed it it wouldn't really hurt your grade but really pushed people to study the topic ahead of time, get in the mindset, and the review of the problem gave both opening for people to ask question, snapped you out of it if you didn't know you hadn't gotten it, and got people thinking in the subject in first minute. Plus as it was the first thing we did it covered a lot of the attendance issues.

My best teacher also did this. Definitely recommend.


Don't make friends: To a certain degree, it's okay - even useful - for the students to like you, but it's important to maintain the appropriate distance in the relationship. If you let it lapse you risk losing the respect of your students (not the ones you make friends with so much as ones who know you're friends with so-and-so). Conversely.

This however, I don't. Again, it all depends on what subset of students your teaching. You don't want to be friends with them when they're still in school, do to other reasons Scorpina mentioned, but there's no reason to not let things be chummy. You'll have to use your best judgment though. Post-graduation I've grabbed coffee with teachers a handful of times, and it's been delightful.

[Talar]

Remember this is math, most people do not like math enough to get a Ph.D in math, much less a B.S. And the best teachers I had in high school were the ones who had a personality and let it show in class. For me it let me get more engaged in the class and participate more, which led to me learning more in said class. And do NOT teach to dumbest common denominator, you need to challenge the students, that way they should learn more, and they will gain confidence when they start succeeding at things they thought they would not succeed at. At the same time make sure the challenges aren't too far out of their spectrum. It is a fine line to toe I believe.

[Anarion]

I hated that idea in highschool. What in the bloody hell is the point in making a student show the work? If you can figure out the answer to the problem in your head, then why should the student get marked down for it? Or what if the student did things differently(but still kinda similar) in solving the problem, and always got the right answer, are you really going to penalize the student for thinking differently? Because I did that a lot as well, and I HATED that I'd lose partial credit for solving the problem differently. I mean, I can understand if you are in college, but in highschool? It's just ridiculous ><

The point of having a student show work is to teach them methods that generalize beyond the immediate problem. To take a lower level example, a student who knows addition could solve a problem like 5*7 just by adding 7+7+7+7+7. But that's not going to work for solving 32545*44654. That's why there's a method for doing it. This remains true at higher levels of mathematics, and the point is to teach people general ways of solving problems and then test that they learned it by giving specific examples. Shortcutting the example is only going to hurt the student in the long run.

That said, using different notation systems or different but generally equivalent methods on problems that can be solved in multiple different ways is perfectly fine and a student should not suffer a penalty for them unless a particular method is specified when the problem is given.



I was one of those students who was disruptive AND got excellent grades. As an adult, I feel a little bad now about wasting the time of other students who didn't pick things up as easily as I did. I didn't care about detentions, notes home, in-house, or any of that. But if you started messing with my grades as a result...yeah I could shape up a little for you.


You're in a statistical minority. You're claiming that you were
1) smart enough to get all the stuff right,
2) didn't care enough to behave and,
3) that a grade-based punishment would have worked where all the behavioral stuff failed.

If that's really true (and I hope you can forgive me for being doubtful), it's still not easily generalized. It's much more likely that you're going to take a couple smart people who are having troubles with maturity and are at a different developmental stage than other people in the class and screw them over. Or that you'll take people who are already struggling, in addition to being less mature than their classmates, and make absolutely certain that they have no chance of ever doing well.

If a student is a disruption to the class, the student should be asked to stop, punished as appropriate, or asked to leave the class. A particularly problematic student may be asked to leave the class repeatedly, and there's probably even escalation from there. Doing that will probably screw the student's grade anyway because he/she will miss all the lectures.

But I remain a firm believer that taking behavioral problems and using them as an excuse to reduce a student's score directly is a huge mistake. It's inherently unfair and insensitive to the fact that different young people develop, both mentally and physically, at different rates even through high school. In addition to that, I'm not even sure I like the concept from a societal point of view: people who are smart, quiet, and law-abiding aren't necessarily better than people who are smart, loud, and a bit wild. It's important that the time of every student is respected, but doing it by screwing over the people who have a hard time sitting still is the wrong way to go about it.




I will grade primarily based on completion (though let them know what they messed up). I'll check their stuff in class, and use a grading app on my iPad.


Just going to point something out. Students, no matter what else they're doing, have a keen eye for inequality. If you want the strict cell-phone ban, having your own iPad out during class is going to make that much harder.



It is a good idea. Keep in mind I've taught college math the past 6 years. What I've found is that incoming students are incredibly lacking in their math vocabulary. What's the difference between an expression and an equation? What's the quadratic formula again? Wait, what's the difference between the quadratic formula and a quadratic equation? That sort of stuff.

It'd be like learning Spanish and only knowing how to conjugate verbs.


This, I love.



Also, for the separating points from behavioral stuff, what about participation points?

A few things. One, I do think this is a bit different. Obviously, if you're giving out points for speaking up in class or calling on students in some regular manner, and a student is not present due to being a disruption, they don't get those points.

Two, you should be very careful about how you do participation points. As much as students hate it, I'd actually recommend cold-calling over taking volunteers. There have been a lot of studies about how men volunteer heavily over women, and to a lesser extent Caucasians over minorities.

Three, again due to developmental differences, I'd expect shyness from some students even with participation grades, and even with cold-calling to force them to talk. One big difference between college and high school is that in college, every student is there because they want to be there. In high school, they have to be there. That means in college, you can expect them to participate and be engaged because otherwise they wouldn't be in the class. In high school, you might get some people who totally freak out on the spot and want nothing more than to disappear from the class, but when it comes to their written work, they do just fine.


I guess, more broadly, the theme that I'm pushing on in several of my responses is that when it comes to grades, I think the most important thing is that a student learns the material you're trying to teach. I firmly believe that a grade should reflect that fact and nothing else. You should set up your grading so that introverts and extroverts are both capable of demonstrating to you that they've learned the material, and that students at varying levels of developmental maturity are also capable of demonstrating that they've learned the material.

[Knaight]

Two, you should be very careful about how you do participation points. As much as students hate it, I'd actually recommend cold-calling over taking volunteers. There have been a lot of studies about how men volunteer heavily over women, and to a lesser extent Caucasians over minorities.

A technique I've seen in a number of places is having a can with Popsicle sticks in it, each of which has a students name on it. A name is then drawn from the can to cold-call.

[FinnLassie]

Heheh, that popsicle stick method, I love using it with wee kids. There's no way they have any legit reason to complain that I constantly pick the same people. :smalltongue:

[Archonic Energy]

Heheh, that popsicle stick method, I love using it with wee kids. There's no way they have any legit reason to complain that I constantly pick the same people. :smalltongue:

I want to see all the sticks to independently verify that you just haven't wrote my name on them all.

*palms stick with my name on *

[sktarq]

Popsicle stick methods is more useful in larger classes but if the class size is under 15 like the OP described it seems a little overboard.

[Knaight]

Popsicle stick methods is more useful in larger classes but if the class size is under 15 like the OP described it seems a little overboard.

It's good at making sure that questions are evenly distributed, and subconscious bias is a powerful force to the contrary. A smaller class size just means fewer Popsicle sticks.

[Anarion]

If it's only 10 people, you could just call on each person once per class (use a seating chart with checkmarks or something).

[TheThan]

The best math teacher I ever had didn’t just teach math. Sometimes he would just sit and talk to us about life. He knew that we were on the verge of adulthood and were about to step out into the “real world” (high school seniors mind you). So he decided that as long as we learned something, whether that was some life lesson or actual math, he felt he was doing his job and doing good by his students.

[Crow]

If that's really true (and I hope you can forgive me for being doubtful),

We're talking high-school level classes dude. Not rocket science. All you have to do to get good grades is put in the work. I wasn't in any AP classes of course.

[Starwulf]

The point of having a student show work is to teach them methods that generalize beyond the immediate problem. To take a lower level example, a student who knows addition could solve a problem like 5*7 just by adding 7+7+7+7+7. But that's not going to work for solving 32545*44654. That's why there's a method for doing it. This remains true at higher levels of mathematics, and the point is to teach people general ways of solving problems and then test that they learned it by giving specific examples. Shortcutting the example is only going to hurt the student in the long run.

That said, using different notation systems or different but generally equivalent methods on problems that can be solved in multiple different ways is perfectly fine and a student should not suffer a penalty for them unless a particular method is specified when the problem is given.


I have no problem with the teacher teaching the proper way, obviously not everyone is going to be capable of doing complex equations in their head. My issue is when I would fail exam after exam because I solved the problem "Differently", or at first, just inside my head. I didn't connect with the way the teacher solved the problem, my brain attacked the problems in a different manner, and I was penalized for it every single time, and that's what I"m saying on this thread: Don't penalize a student just because he does it differently. I very nearly failed geometry because of this, and it was ridiculous because I was getting the right answer every time, but being penalized for it. Who the hell cares if I get it a different way? I've probably used Geometry less then a handful of times since I left highschool, and yet I nearly had to graduate a year later(or at the least, double up on math classes) because my teacher was a [synonym for female dog] over how I solved the equations.

I mean, this woman literally ruined math for me. I used to love math up until her class. I can remember helping upper class-men do their Alg2 homework, because it just came naturally for me, but after this teacher? I hate math, even to this day. When I see people on this forum and others listing out complex equations my brain literally shuts down and forces me to skip it, I can't even look at it ><

[Crow]

When I see people on this forum and others listing out complex equations my brain literally shuts down and forces me to skip it, I can't even look at it ><

Oh man, I am the same way!

[danzibr]

Just going to point something out. Students, no matter what else they're doing, have a keen eye for inequality. If you want the strict cell-phone ban, having your own iPad out during class is going to make that much harder.
I read and appreciate your post, but I want to comment on this. Why should there be equality in the classroom? Between students yes, but the same rules do not apply to the students and teachers.

I've been doing the cellphone ban thing for a long time, but I keep my cellphone out on the front desk to check the time. Occasionally I'll say something about points being deducted from my homework and get a laugh or two.

[...] and that's what I"m saying on this thread: Don't penalize a student just because he does it differently.
Right, I already don't make that blunder. A shame you had that experience.

[Anarion]

We're talking high-school level classes dude. Not rocket science. All you have to do to get good grades is put in the work. I wasn't in any AP classes of course.

I'm not doubting that the classes were easy. I'm doubting the combination of the three things I posted: you were smart enough to get it all, you didn't care enough about the class to behave, and that you would have responded to a grade threat even though you didn't respond to detentions and stuff. It's all that together that I'm skeptical about.


I read and appreciate your post, but I want to comment on this. Why should there be equality in the classroom? Between students yes, but the same rules do not apply to the students and teachers.

I've been doing the cellphone ban thing for a long time, but I keep my cellphone out on the front desk to check the time. Occasionally I'll say something about points being deducted from my homework and get a laugh or two.


I said it would be harder, it could still work. You're dealing with a younger age though, so where college students might get the humor, someone who's 15 or 16 might think that since the teacher gets to pull out a phone to check the time, he should be able to do it too.



Right, I already don't make that blunder. A shame you had that experience.

Ditto to that. I'm sorry to hear that your education got that messed up Starwulf.

Edit: Although, why the heck is being uncomfortable with math a thing that people are just okay with? If you were like "oh man, I know, I have trouble reading big words sometimes!" You'd go out and study some more English because that would be hugely embarrassing. Math is important guys.

[Flickerdart]

We interrupt this serious and somewhat heated conversation to bring you a thematically related comedic interlude (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw).

[sktarq]

I read and appreciate your post, but I want to comment on this. Why should there be equality in the classroom? Between students yes, but the same rules do not apply to the students and teachers.

Some yes but there a couple very large differences between the college and HS classes that this can have a major effect.

Firstly college students have a buy-in to the system that HS students often do not. Many HS students are actively looking for ways to challenge you. This kind of behavior is something they can latch onto and undercut your authority with the entire class.

Secondly as a grad student you were more like you students than different. You may be in a position of authority but you were more same than different. You are about to become effectively an alien to your students. You will be fundamentally "other" at least at first. It is not an impossible divide to reach across to have a good relationship but it does mean that you will not be given the benefit of the doubt on things such as fairness.

[Crow]

I'm not doubting that the classes were easy. I'm doubting the combination of the three things I posted: you were smart enough to get it all, you didn't care enough about the class to behave, and that you would have responded to a grade threat even though you didn't respond to detentions and stuff. It's all that together that I'm skeptical about.

If I didn't care about the class, I would not have bothered to do the work. I wanted good grades because it kept me eligibile for sports, and my parents off my back.

Several of the teachers in our school did have a "grade threat". It was a citizenship score. You had a pool of points that contributed to your grade. Misbehavior caused points to be deducted from that pool as the semester ticked on. I was pretty well-behaved in those classes.

It worked well until the beginning of junior year. That was when I discovered surfing, and started to truly not care, which is what I am sure you were assuming earlier. From then on, it was A's on the tests and just enough school and classwork to get D's at the end of the semester.

I guess what I am saying is that just because it doesn't apply to you, doesn't mean it doesn't apply to anyone. I knew several through high school. Chances are, if the OP sticks with teaching, he is going to encounter quite a few students who pull good grades because they need them for some reason or another, but don't walk the straight and narrow.

As I suggested earlier. Place it somewhere in your discipline continuum. Not the first step, but maybe around the third, around where you might contact the parents. Make it well-known that this can happen, so there are no surprises, and always administer it uniformly. If a student continues to act out at this point, they have made that choice.

[Anarion]

As I suggested earlier. Place it somewhere in your discipline continuum. Not the first step, but maybe around the third, around where you might contact the parents. Make it well-known that this can happen, so there are no surprises, and always administer it uniformly. If a student continues to act out at this point, they have made that choice.

And I'll continue to push against that and say that students shouldn't be allowed to make that choice. Behavior and mastery of a subject being taught are separate things and using behavior (beyond a limited class participation points system) to negatively impact a student's grade leads, imo, to unfair results. I just don't believe that students in K-12 are all equally mature and capable of making the decision you're talking about in a way that's fair.

Anyway, I think we've laid out the issue pretty clearly at this point. It's up to danzibr to pick how to handle it, and I do hope we've assisted in making an informed decision.

[The Second]

The problem comes when it actively hurts people's ability to do math. I know I have left a year long HS math class with a lower level ability than when I started (And had just aced my math SAT I and II's) than when I wen in. Trying to work it out the way the teacher wanted left me unable to do it his way or my way. I was horrible at math for years after-only a great TA a couple years later gave me extra help to learn how see calculus in a way my mind works. I went from D and F to strait A's for the rest of the semester in a couple hours worth of private teaching. Until then, and still today, my work would have been a certain shade of blue, billy idol's hair point shape, the scent of burnt meat, the answer because that is how my mind works-and for years it work extremely well. Most math teachers I've had don't seem to share an understanding of how that could possibly work (and I've always assumed self selected towards a limited collection of mental styles to produce disproportionate self referencing communities). In college the students taking math classes (depending of on what your definition of Intermediate Algebra is collegiate Algebra being the beast that it is) is going to be more likely one that already shares more traits with the "common" mindsets that a more random group of HS students who are there because it is a requirement to graduate.


I can relate to this, though at the time I had no idea why I couldn't seem to make things work out the way they were supposed to. To me, math textbooks seem to have been written in some alien language that I've never been able to decipher, and back then, sitting in a class with twenty other students who seemed to be doing just fine made me feel like I was some kind of mentally retarded idiot, so I never said anything until I flunked the first semester. When the teacher came to me and asked why I was having trouble, I told him it was because I didn't understand it. "What don't you understand," he asked. "Any of it," I replied. And was then put in the remedial class, which made me feel even worse. It wasn't until I was junior in high school that a student teacher sat down with me and showed me a way to work out the problems that I could understand. Went from D's and F's to B's, much to everyone's surprise, including my own.

I guess what I mean to add to the discussion is, if someone is struggling with your assignments, don't write them off as a lost cause.

[Pie Guy]

I'm gonna step back in here for a sec and say to not require flash cards because I always hated them, and had less respect for a teacher who made me make/use them.

[Jay R]

I hated that idea in highschool. What in the bloody hell is the point in making a student show the work?

I hated it in high school too. But now that I'm teaching, I've learned why it's necessary.

1. It's an anti-cheating tool. It's harder to copy the work from somebody's paper than just the answer.

2. We are usually teaching methods which will be necessary to do more complicated problems later. But we start you on easy problems. Many bright students can see the answer to the early problems, and will skip learning how the tool works, Then, when they reach harder problems for which they cannot instantly see the answer, they don't have the tools. If I make people learn and use the tools at the start of algebra 1, more students are capable of handling the later chapters in algebra 1.

[Winter_Wolf]

Showing work for partial credit is extremely useful when students don't get a correct answer. If a student consistently makes the same mistake, it shows you what part(s) they're not wrapping their minds around. When a lot of student s make the same mistake, it shows the teacher an area which is either very difficult and needs more time, and/or that the teacher is dropping the ball on actually teaching that particular part. Teachers don't make you show work to punish you, it's to help you even though I never liked showing work I still understood the point.

I know it's trendy to never blame precious bundles of BS (school aged kids) but if all the students are screwing up in the same way, the teacher isn't communicating effectively. That is a teacher problem. If its just one or a few students who are consistently screwing up, then it's a kids issue and needs to be figured out. That's not a blame thing, that's a "what's it gonna take to get this student to be able to/willing to absorb what we're trying to teach" thing. From experience, a lot of kids will make an effort and be willing to try up to a certain point but between parents with blinders, admin that don't care just make the test mark, and teachers who just can't or won't make the effort, some students will just stop giving a flying crap.

[sktarq]

Showing work for partial credit is extremely useful when students don't get a correct answer. If a student consistently makes the same mistake, it shows you what part(s) they're not wrapping their minds around. When a lot of student s make the same mistake, it shows the teacher an area which is either very difficult and needs more time, and/or that the teacher is dropping the ball on actually teaching that particular part. Teachers don't make you show work to punish you, it's to help you even though I never liked showing work I still understood the point.

I get why. I've always gotten why. But teachers who insist on it are harming a subset of their students. For some students the all or nothing (no partial credit) works better for them. 8 points of 10 is close enough and who cares if you actually get the answer right. They well not be doing it to punish a student but it is hurting them all the same.

[Anarion]

I get why. I've always gotten why. But teachers who insist on it are harming a subset of their students. For some students the all or nothing (no partial credit) works better for them. 8 points of 10 is close enough and who cares if you actually get the answer right. They well not be doing it to punish a student but it is hurting them all the same.

I don't understand this argument. If the student does the method correctly, they get 100%. If they're not solving problems quick enough to do them all in the time allotted, they can get 80%. If they mess up somewhere, the teacher can ID it and still give 50-60% on that problem or more.

I get that some students are messed up by being forces into a specific method, but nobody is advocating that. What we're advocating is that the student demonstrate whatever method he's using.

Also, I'd much prefer to reward the kid who did the whole problem right but had a DERP somewhere in the middle and wrote 8*5=45, than I would the kid who has the right number but can't tell me how he got it.

[Asta Kask]

Heheh, that popsicle stick method, I love using it with wee kids. There's no way they have any legit reason to complain that I constantly pick the same people. :smalltongue:

And if they do, that's when you teach them about Poisson statistics.

[sktarq]

I don't understand this argument. If the student does the method correctly, they get 100%. If they're not solving problems quick enough to do them all in the time allotted, they can get 80%. If they mess up somewhere, the teacher can ID it and still give 50-60% on that problem or more.

I get that some students are messed up by being forces into a specific method, but nobody is advocating that. What we're advocating is that the student demonstrate whatever method he's using.

Also, I'd much prefer to reward the kid who did the whole problem right but had a DERP somewhere in the middle and wrote 8*5=45, than I would the kid who has the right number but can't tell me how he got it.

Except there very often is no demonstrable method. Or at least no way of communicating it in a way the teacher can make sense of. When I figured out problems via a mishmash of colour, sound, and kinesetic sense of a some martial art move there is no way for a teacher to grade that...but it worked reliably for me. It was the insistence on showing work I didn't have that was the problem. I've never said that if a student puts down partial shouldn't be rewarded for it-but know that it incentiveses putting down stuff over the right answer a lot of the time. I knew several students who used their knowledge of partial credit to skate courses. They never cared if they got the answer right just as long as they got enough partial to pass the class. Your preference at the end is exactly what I am advocating against. For some people 8*5=40 because it just is not because they added 8+8+8+8+8 on the scratch paper. You aren't grading ability there you are grading the ability to explain. It's like the modern art museum where everyone has to read the artists monograph next to each piece.

[Knaight]

Your preference at the end is exactly what I am advocating against. For some people 8*5=40 because it just is not because they added 8+8+8+8+8 on the scratch paper. You aren't grading ability there you are grading the ability to explain. It's like the modern art museum where everyone has to read the artists monograph next to each piece.

This gets into how much work needs to be shown. Past a certain point steps start needing to be dropped - the arithmetic steps I wrote out in 2nd grade were hidden when I took Algebra 2 in 6th, most of the algebra done there I didn't show for calculus, and once in higher calculus some of the lower stuff doesn't get shown any more (such as actually writing out the u and du in u-du substitution). As for grading the ability to explain, that can happen if the teacher is really insistent on a particular method and not another that is just as functional and written out - but at the same time, there's a class of methods that actually work and aren't just intuitively knowing it, and understanding functional methods are really important in math.

[sktarq]

As for grading the ability to explain, that can happen if the teacher is really insistent on a particular method and not another that is just as functional and written out - but at the same time, there's a class of methods that actually work and aren't just intuitively knowing it, and understanding functional methods are really important in math.

Actually if a teacher is insisting on the shown work then it is grading on the ability to explain. If you can explain your method you get the points, if you can't you don't.

And if the method is working by producing the correct answer then it actually works too-if it doesn't then a zero on the question is pretty assured.

[Anarion]

Actually if a teacher is insisting on the shown work then it is grading on the ability to explain. If you can explain your method you get the points, if you can't you don't.

And if the method is working by producing the correct answer then it actually works too-if it doesn't then a zero on the question is pretty assured.

All modern intellectual jobs require you to explain your conclusions. Mathematics papers require that you write out a proof, engineering requires that you save and file documentation before starting any kind of construction or assembly of a project, all scientific experiments require reproducible steps, law requires memos explaining the precedent, politicians write out careful policy memos, teachers themselves have to write out course plans step by step, and so forth.

[sktarq]

All modern intellectual jobs require you to explain your conclusions. Mathematics papers require that you write out a proof,...teachers themselves have to write out course plans step by step, and so forth.

True but applied to HS math class I don't think that an appropriate comparison? I think and have seen that backfire as much as help. If a student does better at dealing with such issues in the form of "support you argument" in an English class it shouldn't be penalized in math class.

[Lycunadari]

My teachers often didn't require to show work, but if you did and got the final result wrong, you still could get part credits. So if you just wrote the result, and it was right, you got full points, if it was wrong, you got nothing. But if you wrote down how you got the result, you could get at least points for the part that was still right. So not showing work was only a good idea if you were 100% certain you got the right answer.

[sktarq]

My teachers often didn't require to show work,..... So not showing work was only a good idea if you were 100% certain you got the right answer.

This is exactly what I'm advocating

[Jay R]

True but applied to HS math class I don't think that an appropriate comparison? I think and have seen that backfire as much as help. If a student does better at dealing with such issues in the form of "support you argument" in an English class it shouldn't be penalized in math class.

The methods for doing so in English class are not the methods for doing so in math class, so one does not replace the other. Your principle is equivalent to saying, "I can create a good line in art class, so I shouldn't be penalized for not creating a good line in poetry class."

[sktarq]

The methods for doing so in English class are not the methods for doing so in math class, so one does not replace the other. Your principle is equivalent to saying, "I can create a good line in art class, so I shouldn't be penalized for not creating a good line in poetry class."

I'd disagree. The logic is similar. If the goal is to have success in artistic expression then the two are equivalent in your drafting and English course. It also isn't math. and to penalize for things that are not math is inappropriate.

[Winter_Wolf]

This is exactly what I'm advocating

Way I see it, we weren't actually in disagreement. If you don't want to show your work that's on you. If you get a right answer you get points, if you get a wrong answer and don't want the chance for at least partial credit, that's your choice too. I've never had a teacher knock points off for not showing work, and since they always assigned the even numbered problems for homework you couldn't just flip to the back of the book and copy the answers anyway.

I'm a fan of lateral thinking and it certainly gets me places that linear thinking can't or won't go, but I see no reason not to give myself every advantage I can, so I'll show my work because its to my advantage to do so.

[sktarq]

... I've never had a teacher knock points off for not showing work,...
I'm a fan of lateral thinking and it certainly gets me places that linear thinking can't or won't go, but I see no reason not to give myself every advantage I can, so I'll show my work because its to my advantage to do so.

I have. A couple of them-and hear of others regularly. Think it can be highly dangerous to the lateral thinkers and also prevents people decent at both from practicing their lateral thinking.

[Asta Kask]

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[Razanir]

Questions
Maybe you're a HS teacher, or maybe you were a HS student once. Any pointers?

Former HS student. Opinions based partially off AP Calc BC, which was a class of about 15. (And a bit off college)


Seating chart

For such a small class, you probably don't need a seating chart. I liked in Calc being able to sit anywhere we wanted. Although, of course, Cafeteria Syndrome happened, and we always sat in the same places. A bit of the usual self-imposed seating chart.


Cell phone usage -> lost points and I take it until the end of the school day

Nah. Take it for the period if it's a problem. Nothing more.


Talk after you turn your test in -> lost points

For HS, sure. And only taking points off, sure. My issue is only people like my accounting professor, who will fail you for the semester if you so much as talk on your way out of the testing room after finishing.


Tests modeled after ACT and SAT (primarily multiple choice, 1-2 work out)

Perhaps the opposite balance. Some multiple choice, but mostly work out. Also, remember to only give half credit for answers without work. (Unless it's stupidly easy and they really shouldn't need to show work)

The alternative to requiring work, which is just as fine. You don't need to show work, but you can only get partial credit for a wrong answer if there's work. So for instance, they got all the calc formulas right, but messed up on the algebra and got the wrong answer. Partial, possibly even near-full credit.


Have stuff like Rubik's Cubes and chess sets for before/after school and special days

Yes, also Catan. Because Catan. Just be sure to have the 5-6 player expansion. You'll need it.


Bell work every day

I like this idea. Give completion credit for it, and have it replace attendance.


Mix of calculator and non-calculator (personally I don't like them at all, but hey, they're handy)

Yes. People are growing too reliant on them. Of course you'll probably never be without one in practice, but the theory is still good to know. Perhaps have a two-day/two-part final. One part is calculator required, one part is non-calculator.


Work can be done individually or with a partner (person next to you). No large groups.

Nah, groups are fine.


EDIT: Also, I'm interested in banks of multiple choice questions (preferably a .tex file, but I doubt I'll find one) from standardized tests. I've found a few via google, but no huge banks. Any good sites?

I don't necessarily know sites, but this is a good idea. One of my professors in college actually makes question banks for the final. He draws a random sample each semester for the final, and another for a review day.

And finally, a suggestion for class format from experience. Homework time. Make a lot of class homework time. I loved the format of my BC Calc class. He'd teach us for a bit, but most of class was homework time, and we were able to ask him any questions.


You know what's missing from every classroom board game collection? Settlers of Catan. :smalltongue:

Me, Myself, and I second, third, and fourth this, respectively.