This Week at Sites...

   At sites, I am able to assist students with their class work and answer any questions they might have about their work.  I've noticed that most of the kids have the same exact difficulties in a certain area, such as rounding, mentally adding and subtracting, etc. These kinds of actions should be easily done for 7th graders even though they will have a few mistakes in mental math, it is natural. 7th graders should not still be counting on their fingers when adding 8 plus 7, it should for the most part come as second nature. 7th graders should know how to round, when you are having to take a day to teach about rounding to students, it will set them back from where they need to be in the material. All of their main difficulties are things that should have been mastered in the 4th-6th grade.

I remember being in the 5th grade and completing minute worksheets that had about 20 questions. These questions could be anything; addition, subtraction, multiplication, or even a mixture of all of them. These little tests helped me memorize simple problem, and it has helped me in the long run. Whenever I'm working out a long complicated problem, it's easier for me because I'm able to do quick operations because I have things memorized. In my future classroom, I will have these minute tests to help keep up the usage of these skills.

It is crucial in math to keep building on your skills. You can't teach something once or twice, test over it, and then move on. Bring the topic into the next topic you teach. For example, if the kids learned about rounding in one chapter, use rounding in problems in future topics and units to maintain and nurture that skill of rounding.

I'm taking in everything I notice at sites like a sponge, soaking up all the knowledge and skills I can to use in my future class room.