When I think about the type of math class environment I want to foster, I can't help but think about the absolute necessity for students to relate with mathematical content on a deeper level than a simply algorithmic one. Valuable math lessons challenge the brain and interest it,…
When we think about the universal design of learning (UDL) it takes on many forms. In the lessons and activities that we construct in the classroom, we want to make sure that we are hitting the three main focuses of UDL. These are from engagement, representation, and action & expression.…
I found the Emdin video extremely powerful- especially the part where he talks about the five C's of reality pedagogy (cogenerative dialogues, coteaching, cosmopolitanism, context, and content). While each of the five C's are very powerful, I would like to focus on coteaching and how I…
As I begin my journey as a teacher, I really want to prioritize equity in my classroom and social justice not only in the curriculum but also within the actual experience of teaching itself. I want to acknowledge my students' ethnic backgrounds as well as their communities and their…
In looking forward at my plans to become a mathematics teacher, the importance of questions in class seems almost painfully obvious. At some point, every student has had teachers on either end of the good-questioning spectrum: teachers who have lectured without asking questions of their students or allowing their students…
Thinking about questions... In one of my current education classes, the teacher begins each class by asking: "Any shout outs, achievements, or current events?" I particularly like this approach to questioning because it gets students to open up, getting to know each other and the teacher. If nobody…
One thing I've noticed about questioning in the classroom is that when a teacher leaves room for too much interpretation in a question when it comes to directions or expectations, students either respond with confusion or don't respond at all. For instance, I've seen…
1. Teaching students to use the CER method to generate answers to questions is hugely important. It is an important tool for them, even into adulthood. Once they have mastered it, they will then be able to use the scaffold to, in turn, develop questions. This is important in a…
Today was all about the question, "what is a testable question". The kids are doing a virtual science fair, and they need to develop a question and experiment to answer it, so we talked about what a testable question was. The students, I found, mostly answered the question…
As a kid, I loved asking questions. In every space I ever was, you could bet that I was asking questions about what I was doing or what I was going to do next. Questions come naturally to me as a teacher as well. I love to ask my students…