Testing...

This week is CSAP (our state mandated tests) and two weeks ago was spring break. What does that mean? Attack of the zombie students! Well, most of them don't actually attack - they just sit there with a slightly dazed look on their face. And then there are a few who will be extra antsy from taking tests and not getting enough sleep.

So, my solution? My efforts earlier this week included a short clip of John Travolta dancing in Saturday Night Fever to illustrate cubic functions (a few raised their heads, but even the Bee Gees can't solve everything). Much more successful was a game of Tic-Tac-Toe Battle Royale as a review of central, interior, and exterior angles. I give many thanks to Dan Greene for this idea that is adaptable to many different content areas! My students livened up a bit with the competition and I think many of them even learned a few things.

Tomorrow I plan getting out the scissors and tape to construct tetrahedra and octahedra, hoping that keeping their hands busy might get their brains in action. For those who weren't inspired by the Bee Gees, I hope Tic Tac Toe Battle Royale to review the properties of exponents will do the trick. Wish me luck!

Throwing my hat into the ring

Last August I took a class on technology in the classroom as part of my teacher training. I read Will Richardson's Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms and a chapter at a time I began to realize the potential of social networking for me as a new teacher and for students as a forum for learning.

My most wonderful discovery, however, is that math teachers are blogging about achievements and frustrations in their classrooms. People around the country and world are sharing lesson plans and assessment ideas and how-to-use-this-cool-tool-in-the-classroom and I-sang-a-song-to-teach-order-of-operations and much more.

This has been great for a newbie like me for a few reasons. First of all, because I get glimpses of classrooms all over and I see the common struggles. Knowing that other teachers have some of the same questions I have about teaching makes this huge job seem less intimidating. The best part, though, is that I can be inspired by teachers enjoying their students learning. Whenever I have a hard day (and as a student teacher, there have been many of these) I can look into the blogosphere, read someone's shared success, and get a smile on my face.

So, I see it as only fitting that my first effort of blogging be to introduce my MathEduBlog bundle (thanks to Shelly Terrell for the webcast on how to do this!). These aren't all the great blogs out there, but these are a few bloggers who have helped me find courage and spirit those nights when I'm just not feeling up to the job.

Thanks to them. I hope you enjoy them, too.