Sunday, April 14, 2013

Reviewing for our math test

Blogging has been difficult lately.  I haven't been on spring break ... ours was a month ago.  But I believe I may have contracted a "bad" case of spring fever!  I have thoughts about blogging daily ... but when I leave school for the day, my thoughts scatter and I just want to be outside ... by the pool, in the garden ... or sometimes just staring into space.  My students also are showing symptoms of the "fever" ... making my days at school challenging.

There is a test tomorrow.  Our MSSunFun blogging topic is how do I teach students how to study for a math assessment.  I haven't done a good enough job this year teaching students how to study.  Our PLC creates a test before each unit ... and a test review and a retake.  It has been my practice to give students the review to the test 2 class periods before the test as homework.  That way the day before the test we can go over any problems they found difficult and make sure to close any gaps in understanding.

This has worked well for some units ... but not for the unit test coming up tomorrow.  The majority of students came to class without completing the review guide.  The "fever" was rampant!  Not only that but many started in on the review ... asking very basic questions.  My spirit plummeted.  So I spent that last class period remediating as much as possible.  I fear that this test is not going to go well ...

I would move the test date but we are very close to our state test ... and there is a tight schedule of activities planned to help students review for that test.  Our PLC is creating review stations, reflection questions, and study guides.  I love the ideas posted already by Julie and Mary!  I'll share some of my ideas for review in the next week or too ...

5 comments:

  1. I remember the "fever." It gets us too but in a different way. We would get stressed about the upcoming tests. It was so difficult to get them to settle and be serious toward the test date and then they would do just fine when the real thing came...or at least as first expected. No surprises except a few good ones. I bet your students are going to do so amazingly well. You have a natural patience and ability to teach and are such a positive force in support for everyone around you.

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  2. Can you throw some energy and blog topics my way?! I'd like to post more frequently but I lack both!

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    1. Hi Mary - if I find that magical supply of energy I will share it!

      The topics I like best are when we share teaching activities. At the beginning of the year I was sharing an activity each week as were many others. I learn so much from seeing how others structure learning to engage students. But I've been bogged down lately. Either my activities are not original or they aren't "share" worthy.

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  3. NICE BLOG!!! Education is the process of bringing desirable change into the behavior of human beings. It can also be defined as the “Process of imparting or acquiring knowledge or habits through instruction or study”. Thanks for sharing a nice information.
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