Let’s be real... parent communication is one of those things we want to do more of... until the grading piles up, the coffee runs out, and we’ve got 57 late submissions on canvas to grade. But building family connections doesn’t have to be another item on your to-do list that stresses you out. And we … Continue reading 7 Fun Ways to Enhance Parent-Teacher Communication
My first year teaching Algebra 1? Honestly, it was a blur of graded quizzes, color-coded chaos, and more copies of the same worksheet than I care to admit. I tried so hard to be the “perfect” teacher. But looking back, I realize I made a lot of avoidable mistakes. If you’re about to start your … Continue reading 5 Mistakes I Made My First Year Teaching Algebra 1 (And What I Do Now)
A couple weeks ago I went to the NCTM conference in Chicago and my mind was BLOWN by the awesome ideas I heard. I even texted my administrator the very first session I was in to prepare him for all the things I was coming back with! (ignore the fact that I just got right … Continue reading 3 Activities to Promote Literacy in the Math Classroom
Hey there, my teacher friends! 🌟 Let’s chat about something that’s going to make your life a whole lot easier and your classroom more awesome: digital self-checking activities. Trust me, once you start using these, you'll wonder how you ever survived without them. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and let me tell … Continue reading 5 Reasons To Use Digital Self-Checking Activities
"When are we ever going to use this? I hate worksheets! Why can't we do something fun?" Are these things you hear in your classroom regularly? Here's a few fun way to incorporate student choice in your classroom, WITHOUT making more work for yourself! 1. Choice in Practice Having different assignment formats of the same … Continue reading Student Choice in the Secondary Classroom
90 minutes is a long time to keep someone on task and focused. Then make that person someone who spends their free time watching 60 second TikToks and the task becomes even harder. I’ve had to restructure my 90 minute classes to get the maximum amount of learning done while still keeping students engaged and … Continue reading Time well spent: A blueprint for Teaching in 90 minute blocks.
(that aren't a traditional test) This week I decided to be the “fun” teacher and give a project for a summative grade instead of a test. I teach a class that doesn’t have a state test at the end of the year and is a bridge course between Geometry and Algebra 2 to help strengthen … Continue reading Four Ways For Students to Show What They Know
Well here goes nothing... As this school year wraps up, I have decided that to better prepare myself for next year and all future years, I will chronicle everything (or as many things as I can!) that I decide to do and how it works. That way, when this time next year rolls around and … Continue reading And so it begins…
Fun With Algebra 