Blackboard Notes

  I have been very remiss about keeping up my blog (mainly for me), but you have not yet checked Mathbits from MCTM, I highly encourage you to do so (not just because there is an article from me about my last plug for spring conference). Why the picture?  It represents some fundamental changes at our house.  My daughter, as pictured, has been interning out in the Chicago area to develop her media production skills to get better at her trade.  Most recently, her dog, Brice, has also (more recently) made that transition by riding back out there with her.  It makes me reflect and wonder what's the point of what I am doing right now? Do I have a mission to do other things and work with others since I no longer need to "watch over" the dog, nor tend to any immediate needs of my daughter.   I think most frequently, especially because of the pandemic, school students have developed this attitude, "What's the point? Why do we have to have math class?"  I...

This may sound like a bit of a to do list, but there are several items to look through as we (educators) get closer to the MCTM Spring Conference.  Since I am an exiting region director, I thought I should try to find info to get everyone aware of resources, especially with the change in our 2022 MN Math Standards. There is a group called MN Math Leaders, which meets regularly...if you want to know more about them you can check out more info at http://www.mctm.org . Some of the To-Do's I'll list here: 2023-24 MN Math Leaders Book Club Series (more information coming soon) Building Thinking Classrooms (Peter Liljedahl) - Led by Jessica Strom Choosing to See by Pam Seda and Kyndall Brown - Led by MCTM Regional Directors Everything you wanted to know about being an Indian but were afraid to ask. Junior Edition by Dr. Anton Treue r - Led by Laura Wagenman & Amy Nolte 6 Tools for Collaborative Mathematics Coaching by Nicora Placa Led by  Megan Schmidt🐶 2024 MN Math Leaders ...

  I used to DESIRE to dig into research and to experiment and try a hypothesis in my classroom.  Since COVID I have felt complacent and unsupported to try anything.  This is the danger of not just the pandemic, but ANY major situation. Then I also became involved with MCTM and worked with people whose desire was to make math more connected again.  There were several feeling the same way as I did, and for once that gave some comfort.   I've discovered through personal study and investment in my thinking habits, (as mentioned in previous posts) that I am an Architect.  Not by trade, but by mindful construction of the "Big Picture" and commanding the tools, resources, and assets I am connected to make it happen. Not to brag, far from it, for Architects also are behind the scenes people, and some have the opposite of superiority complex; that is to say, an inferiority complex.   This is a dangerous feeling to have, especially if one is in a competiti...

  Though the picture represents a different reason for my mug smile (taken in May 2022), it makes me feel the same way to try to continue to hope for the future of math standards.   Currently we are working underneath the 2007 Minnesota Math Standards, and version III of the new standards have been out for comment by the public.  Before, there were general ideas what was supposed to be presented to Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, upper standards (advanced data and statistics), but yet did not account for the College Now or other preparatory math many schools have implemented to be competitive. Here's a case example of hope for improvement.  Currently I teach Algebra 1 to the eighth graders in our district.  The curriculum we have is very rigorous (that is to say, the book focuses on rational exponents), and gives students little practice with integer exponents to build their confidence.  This gap, paired with a low numeracy and low fraction exposure fr...

I am trying new things.  For example, the picture you see is my front door surrounded by leaf bag pumpkins.  Decorations seem to be so expensive after  post epidemic, I decided to be more crafty. While not as fancy as the neighbors, it worked.   That got me thinking because of the changes I've had to go through since coming back to my home-district as a math teacher.  It was a desire to almost create a Brand , something that made my classroom and routines unique, while not trying to piggy back off of someone else's style, as I had done in the past.   Most teachers know this as a "steal and adapt" method, but it seems to be a Frankenstein creation without developing your purpose and meaning for your classroom. Teachers, YOU decide how you are going to start the class period. Make it relatable, base it off your current work and/or topics.  In fact, I make warm ups based on Notice and Wonder (see previous posts on Sara Van Der Werf's references) or c...

 By reading several posts this summer, and being busy I have not made a post till now, I’ve come to realize that adults have suffered greatly in the week of the post epidemic season. They have been largely neglected to focus on the students and their feelings and their recovery, but it’s the teachers who need to be refilled and re-fed and revitalized. Many districts have been stretched to the breaking point, needing substitutes, needing extra adults to serve And it’s not fair to say that these adults don’t deserve mental holidays, something that we used to joke about in the past, but now become a reality. This blog was intended as an experiment in community communication and awareness about mathematics, but now it’s also become an awareness of those who need that extra encouragement and support in a time where you really have to make a show and dance to get kids to pay attention. They actually do care about special effects, behind the scenes, not that you can use the commutative pr...