What about procedures?

I used to hate them. The rules for entering the classroom. The rules for turning in homework. The rules for sharpening your pencil during class. The rules for... the list continues. And the punishment for breaking the rules could include anything from embarrassment in front of your peers to a trip to the office or a call home. I used to wonder whether it was really worth the teacher pitching a fit because a student got up to sharpen his pencil during a lecture. Is that really necessary, beneficial, or even respectful? To yell at a student when we teach them not to respond by yelling?


In short, no. But, I have learned the benefits of establishing some procedures. For example, I want my students to have their homework out on their desk when class begins. Why? Because it allows me to quickly check their work (I only check for completion/attempt), uses minimal class-time to complete a mathematically insignificant process (putting a grade down for homework), and it allows me to immediately see who was able to complete the assignment instead of having to wait until after class to grade papers*.

So what procedures are healthy? How does one determine that a certain procedure is actually providing stability and an outlet rather than an unnecessary hurdle for learning? And finally, what is the best way to teach and enforce procedures?

More to come, I'm sure. I'm only four weeks in. But I'm sick and I'm pretty sure no one is going to respond or leave comments anyway. Helloooooo tylenol.

*Added bonus: Its an opportunity for me to be near every student in the first 3 minutes of class. I think breaking that physical barrier of the teacher behind the desk or in front of the room make me much more approachable from a student's perspective. Also, it helps with classroom management (I think) because it means that just because someone is sitting in the back does not mean that they are out of my "reach."

The Kicker in the Can

The first post of this blog is not a credo for me or this blog. It was intended to mark the wide-eyed curiosity that sparked me just enough to start a blog, a curiosity that I hope will continue to motivate me as a teacher, learner, and person.

My intent here is two-fold. One, that I might have a running record of the thoughts of a new teacher, in hopes that one day, when I am an old teacher (and supposedly wiser one at that), I might refer back to it in order to give advice to future young teachers. The second purpose is much less noble and far more practical. I have thoughts about the landscape of public education in the United States, an institution with rich history that I know far too little about, and specifically thoughts about math education. This is my space to share these thoughts (though at times they may simply be musings) and hear feedback, collaborate, share ideas, all with the hope that everyone involved in the process might emerge more enlightened about what actually happens in classrooms across the country.

I hope to be helpful, but more than that I hope hear and be heard.

My name is Andrew and I am a math teacher in Holland, MI.

Cheers.

By No Means

By no means...

I am a teacher, but I believe I am still much more a learner than a teacher. I have been teaching for three days, but am I a teacher yet?

By no means are my students just students. They will undoubtedly teach me things in the days and weeks to come, and I look forward to it with great anticipation.

By no means...