kitchen table math, the sequel: Math Without Tears

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Math Without Tears

Concerned Teacher has a blog!!!!

This is ASSIGNED READING, folks!
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7 comments:

Concerned Teacher (Happily Retired) said...

Oh, my! I'm a little humbled because I feel very inadequate right now.

But smiles are so much better than tears, so I'm jumping in here, as a teacher who has seen discouragement change to elation, and I'm hoping to encourage parents to help their kids.

Hope you know that I'm not trying to compete. You're the BEST!

June 17, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Concerned Teacher (Happily Retired) said...

Something else, that you don't know yet, Catherine. My wonderful, old, dependable curriculum (that we all love to teach) has been taken from me. And now I'm going to be teaching from Prentice-Hall. (Anybody have any thoughts or experience with this curriculum?)

I told my principal (who was not responsible for the change and who so strongly supported my teaching the tried-and-proven) that I was going to give it a shot and do my best.

If I'm the good teacher I've been told that I am, I should be able to do this.

At least I'm going to try. I don't and won't teach "the book". I teach :the child".

June 17, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Catherine Johnson said...

oh, heck

what a shame

I'm not crazy about Prentice Hall -- but it's not horrible. An experienced teacher like you will do great with it.

June 17, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Catherine Johnson said...

Oh!

I do have a thought -- MORE THAN A THOUGHT.

You MUST give the kids "shuffled homework," the same way Saxon does.

C's teacher gave them shuffled homework this year, and it was AMAZING. He's done SO much better in this class.

Do I have your email address??

I'll email you the two studies.

There's another study on "cumulative homework" that was very interesting & compelling (still haven't really blogged about it).

Cumulative homework was an effort to teach conceptual understanding over and beyond procedural fluency, and to do so in a direct instruction/behavioral way that could be measured and documented.

I'm convinced cumulative homework is going to be very important, and had wanted to do it with C. this school year -- but just couldn't swing it.

If you search this blog for "shuffled homework" and "cumulative homework" you'll find a couple of posts.

June 17, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Catherine Johnson said...

I think it's critically important to have teachers writing blogs -- all teachers.

It's so important for parents & the broader public to get a peek inside the black box.

June 17, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Catherine Johnson said...

OH, also --- be sure to cross post or carry on posting here as much as you have time for & are inclined to do ---!

(I'll get a link up on the side...)

June 17, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Concerned Teacher (Happily Retired) said...

You had my email at one time and I had yours. I've just sent you a test to the address in my mailbox and it was returned "undeliverable".

I have an idea. Look through the old files of the old KTM and find my old email -- I've just checked and it's still there, thought it's not correct. Just change the "worldnet.net" to "comcast.net"

Hope this helps.

June 17, 2008 at 12:07 PM

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