Uncertainty after a long day....

I've done a lot of reading and introspection tonight. And I am delighted to report that it has been completely fruitless.... yes, delighted. If I had been able to find the answers to my questions (namely what's next?) I think that it would have been disappointing.... or terrifying since the answers were that easy to find and I hadn't been looking.

I think often about what I would do if I weren't a teacher. I'm not sure I would be particularly good at anything else. AND I am certain that I wouldn't enjoy anything else as much as I do teaching. BUT is the teaching profession right for me.

For the record, I usually have these kinds of nights when I think that I haven't done enough to help my students succeed at the day's lesson. BUT today feels different, I feel like I have had a glimpse into the future and while I can say that I don't really need to react quickly I can say that a reaction is going to be needed. SO how to react and when to react are the thoughts I am thinking. There are two sentiments that are driving my current thoughts.

My first sentiment is: Students today are not willing to think, to try, to struggle. They have been so conditioned to find the right answer that they come in to my room, sit, and wait for me to do it. When I give them a chance to try it and it isn't exactly the same format as the example they just stop. When I write the step by step directions out and give more time, they write the directions diligently, then sit and wait. I can poke, prod, encourage, question, attempt to use every skill I have learned along this journey and still they sit...... why do they do that?????

My second sentiment: what can I do better? (which then makes me fall back to my first sentiment and how do I battle that) Thus the reading and introspection. There are lots of things I would like to try, but they all require kids to take risks or work independently or take on some responsibilities.... and that is exactly what is currently my frustration.

So the vicious cycle goes.

My next new thing to try: flipping the classroom. (see sentiment #1 for why I haven't jumped in head first just yet)

Bzz - Factor Tree

I have had some unique opportunities lately. One of which was stumbling upon the site BZZagent.com. They give me free trials or samples and then ask me what I think and I have the responsibility to write a review and talking to other people about the opportunities they have given me. I am hoping for bigger and better rewards as I get more experience, but I am appreciative of simple tasks to start with.

My first assignment was to review a program call the the factor tree. The following is what I read before I agreed to try it.

A better way to learn math

Every student learns differently — shouldn’t your child be taught math in the way that works best for them? The team at The Factor Tree think so. Which is why their online supplementary math education platform adapts as your child learns, to ensure your pre-K to 6th-grader is always taught in the way that gets the best results.

What makes the Factor Tree so effective?

• Provides the practice and repetition needed for a child to truly master key math skills
• Use a skill-adaptive progression algorithm to pinpoint each child’s true skill level
• Provides parents with helpful reports, metrics and notifications to track their child’s progress
• Combines a state testing-compliant curriculum, world class educational theories and innovative technology to create a better learning tool

Visit thefactortree.com to learn more about its distinct approach to education and sign up for your free one-month trial.

Sounded like something that was right up my alley as a math teacher and parent!!

I started from my role as a parent. I sat down with my 5 year old and we worked through the first few problems. After counting items on the screen for what felt like an absurd number of questions (really it was probably like 5 questions but the image didn't change and all she had to do was count) she was over the novelty and wanted to move on to other sites. I don't think I will be able to get her to sit still and just do drill type problems. We will try again later this week I am going to try to adjust her level to be higher than Pre-K.

I thought perhaps it would be a great tool to use with my almost 3 year old. I made him a user, and we started counting and pointing. He wants more control over the computer and button pushing but the site requires kids to type the answer in the box. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN without frustration for both mother and son.

Sooooo I decided tonight to put on my teacher hat and see what I thought of the older ages program. Perhaps it would be a good tool for my high school students who need some remediation. If a child is truly struggling with math topics then the problems given here are not going to help them feel better or understand more. The questions I did were fraction addtions and subtractions. The formatting was confusing; I missed several questions because what I thought was a mixed number was actually a large fraction (5 5/100 was 55 over 100 and not 5 and 5 hundredths). The use of parentheses was also confusing. Again, if this is intended for remediation or to help a struggling learner these are just the kinds of mistakes they already make and no help is really offered. I will not being adding this to my list of good places for students to get help.