Instructional/Curriculum Materials

DATE	Materials w/ Description	Teacher interaction	Student interaction
10/22	Anglegs -          Use anglegs to visualize impossible triangles Homework -          14 problems for the students to do	-          Gave students directions to make impossible triangles -          Assigned to students by teacher	-          Students built the impossible triangles and look at the side lengths -          Students have to complete it individually
10/23	Homework -          8 problems for the students to do	-          Assigned to students by teacher	-          Students have to complete it individually
10/24	Homework -          11 problems for the students to do	-          Assigned to students by teacher	-          Students have to complete it individually

Link to pictures

The anglegs that the students use I would say use procedures with connections.  In the activity this week they were told to make a triangle using 3 certain sides.  They then had to come up with a reason on why they couldn't make a triangle out of them.  This activity was a concrete representation of the triangle inequality.  The homework would be doing mathematics.  The problems follow some sort of pattern using the materials they just learned.  There isn't that must complex thinking that is going on. 

My CT says that they barely have any control over the curriculum.  He usually sets the schedule in plenty of time in advanced.  He also gives the students the materials they need through notes.  Usually, the only thing that students use to create themselves is when they use the anglegs.  My CT does use Geogebra quite a bit, however the students aren't really involved in creating them.  The textbook is usually only used for the student's homework.  They aren't ever out when he is giving his lecture in class and doesn't refer to it that often.  About the only manipulative that the students use is the anglegs.  He likes these because it lets the students create shapes and make the discoveries on their own.  

From my observation, I think that I would want to use some sort of manipulative in my class whenever I can.  I like that it gets the students engaged and involved in their learning.  I would use this especially if I teach at a school with a block schedule.  From my observation, I have noticed that activities like this take up a lot of time.  I don't know if in a normal schedule it would be possible for me to use them.  Also, I think that if I had the same book as Southwest, I would do the same thing my CT does.  I think the book is only good enough for if students need a couple of examples for them to try to learn the materials a little bit better.

Homework

Homework is the one thing that my CT says is the one thing he can't find the right to do during his time teaching.  Usually his homework is review of the lesson that they just when over the previous day.  Then at the end of a chapter, he will give a review sheet that the students have to do for homework.  The homework assignments usually have 15 problems and the review will have about 25 problems on it.  Most assignments will be a lot like the practice problems that they go over in class, so the students should not have too much trouble doing them.  As for going over the assignments, he spends very little time going over.  He usually sets time aside to go over questions, but he usually just skips it to get to the more important parts of the lesson.  Even when he does fit it into his lesson, it usually only takes about 10 min.  The kids only ask for about 1 or 2 problems and then my CT goes over them pretty quickly.  Homework for the chapter is turned in all together right before the chapter test.  Every assignment from every student gets checked.  However, it is only graded on completion.  

My CT says he tries to assign homework everyday.  However, he said when he doesn't get through a lesson he will wait to assign it after he finishes the lesson.  He said he tries to create assignments that give the students a little bit of a challenge and also problems that help them on their tests.  He said he would love to go over every problem and give the students feedback on every single problem, but he just doesn't have the time to do that.  So he goes over every problem and sees if the student put in effort to work the problem.  He doesn't give any of the students projects for the students to do.

My ideal way of going over homework is to give students assignments with 8 or 9 problems on it.  I would assign something for every lesson and the students would turn them in the next day.  I would then grade them on the completion but give them comments on the actual work.  I think that grading them on completion and not the work is because homework is for practice the problems so the students are probably going to make mistakes on it.  Then the feedback will help the students see their mistakes and they can learn from them.  Hopefully I will be able to actually use this system and I don't have to skim back on it due to lack time.

Steve's motivation

Through my 4th week of practicum, there is one kid that I can't quite figure out.  For this post lets just call him Steve.  Steve has a huge problem with his motivation, and the problem is that he doesn't have any.  He never gets out his stuff when they have a warm-up or takes notes in class.  Also, when we are doing board work, he always is off goofing off somewhere in the classroom.  My CT always has to get on him to stay on task and do what he is supposed to be doing.  The thing is that when he is on task he knows most of the material.  You would think that if he put a little more effort into his school work he'd know pretty much all the material.  Logan and I have even talked to our CT about Steve.  He's trying a way to find to get Steve to get motivated to learn the stuff, but he hasn't figured out a way yet.  He also said that his mom cares way than Steve about his grades.  You would think an extra push from both his mom and teacher would light a spark under him to try in the class, but that's not the case.  It's kind of hard when I'm in the classroom to try to get him on task, yet he still ends up goofing around 5 minutes after I say something to him.  He sure is good practice for motivating students for my future.