I'm trying to decide whether to do 2-inch binders with four or five dividers (one section for Class problem/HW, one section for handouts/notes, one section for journal entries, one section for vocabulary, and one section for quizzes/tests) OR to do Marble notebooks with Cornell Cues again like I did last year.
Certain aspects of my notebooking system worked really well last year.
First off, I spent a lot of time at the start of the year teaching the students how I wanted them to take their notes, so I could ease up somewhat as the year went on. I would make the first HW assignment or two to draw the line on the first 25 - 50 pages of their notebook, so that I didn't have to deal with the students getting out a ruler as they prepared to do that at the start of class.
Students knew how to keep a table of contents for their notebook, and look up the information. It was arranged by AIM, Date, and Page number, corresponding with the page in their notebooks.
Students indexed new words they learned and the first date that it appeared in their notebook. I think it's important for them to have an index, but perhaps this year, we'll also do a glossary (easier in some ways if it's in a binder).
Students engaged with their notes both in class (as they copied from the board, they had to write down the questions that the notes were answering), as well as outside of class (creating more questions and doing summaries for the lessons). I think that the summaries in the beginning of the year would be more effective if they were of the 3-2-1 variety (3 facts you learned today, 2 questions you still have, and 1 big idea).
On the other hand, students lost a lot of the beginning of class time from setting up their notebooks - with the slower writers, it took as many as 5 minutes or more just to get their notebooks set up! Secondly, some students didn't actually engage with the notebooks, and then it pulled down their grade when they weren't prepared with the notes taken properly.
If I do binders, I think I would still try the two-column notes, but I might explore a bit more outside just having the left side for questions that the notes answer...
I am worried about binders because the three rings can get broken pretty easily (especially inside a middle schooler's backpack), and the paper can get ripped out easily (again, especially in their bags). I know how sturdy the composition notebooks are, and last year, most of my kids (even the disorganized ones) had their notebooks well into the year...
As of right now, I'm still undecided about which option will be better in my classroom: notebooks or binders. I don't have much time left to decide!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Start of the School Year
It's so hard for me to believe that year 3 is about to begin! In a week and a half, my new crop of 8th graders will be coming into my classroom for the first time this year.
I still have a lot to do before next week, in terms of getting both my classroom and my materials ready for the new students. I am determined to do some team-building activities in the opening of the school year, as well as routine teaching, introduction to me as a person (as well as a teacher), and procedure building.
I have certain decisions to make, still, but there are certain parts of my beginning of the year procedures that are already set.
For example:
1. I know that I prefer to give the students my already made rules, rather than "brainstorm" the rules with them. I do, however, believe that last year's lecture on the rules was ineffective, and I need to create a different method to teach them the rules this year. I saw one interactive idea, where it's got boxes with numbers and lines, so they can fill in the important information, and you can check to see that they are paying attention.
2. I know that I plan to spend at least 1 - 2 days on problem solving activities before getting started with the first unit. I don't know exactly how we'll implement the first unit - but I believe doing a couple of fun, math-related/problem solving activities are important, especially since this year's curriculum is much more heavily weighted on the problem-solving side.
3. I want to do two early quizzes: one about the rules, procedures, policies, and Mr. Golan and one about a topic that I teach them to be successful on very quickly, in the opening of the school year.
4. I will continue to use hand signals (non-verbal signs) for certain interruptions to a lesson: a raised R for rest room, a W at the throat for water, pinching the nose for a tissue, and holding a pencil up in the air for the sharpener. This will allow us to focus our attention on the math at hand, rather than these distractions.
5. I want to do some kind of activity where I get the students thinking about what math IS - beyond formulas, procedures, and calculations. I'm not sure how to get them to the realization that math is about recognizing patterns, about order (and chaos), and can be beautiful.
6. I know I want to go over the materials/supplies expectations with them. I also was thinking about doing either a classroom scavenger hunt and/OR a rules/expectations scavenger hunt. I also plan to do a textbook scavenger hunt to familiarize the kids with their new textbooks (which may be different from what they are used to).
7. I was thinking about doing a "Mr. G by the Numbers" ice-breaker, where I share with them 10 - 15 numbers that are important to me (or perhaps do it as a quiz where they have to match the numbers to the important facts). And then have them create their own and share out (and decorate it nicely to hang up?).
I still have a lot to do before next week, in terms of getting both my classroom and my materials ready for the new students. I am determined to do some team-building activities in the opening of the school year, as well as routine teaching, introduction to me as a person (as well as a teacher), and procedure building.
I have certain decisions to make, still, but there are certain parts of my beginning of the year procedures that are already set.
For example:
1. I know that I prefer to give the students my already made rules, rather than "brainstorm" the rules with them. I do, however, believe that last year's lecture on the rules was ineffective, and I need to create a different method to teach them the rules this year. I saw one interactive idea, where it's got boxes with numbers and lines, so they can fill in the important information, and you can check to see that they are paying attention.
2. I know that I plan to spend at least 1 - 2 days on problem solving activities before getting started with the first unit. I don't know exactly how we'll implement the first unit - but I believe doing a couple of fun, math-related/problem solving activities are important, especially since this year's curriculum is much more heavily weighted on the problem-solving side.
3. I want to do two early quizzes: one about the rules, procedures, policies, and Mr. Golan and one about a topic that I teach them to be successful on very quickly, in the opening of the school year.
4. I will continue to use hand signals (non-verbal signs) for certain interruptions to a lesson: a raised R for rest room, a W at the throat for water, pinching the nose for a tissue, and holding a pencil up in the air for the sharpener. This will allow us to focus our attention on the math at hand, rather than these distractions.
5. I want to do some kind of activity where I get the students thinking about what math IS - beyond formulas, procedures, and calculations. I'm not sure how to get them to the realization that math is about recognizing patterns, about order (and chaos), and can be beautiful.
6. I know I want to go over the materials/supplies expectations with them. I also was thinking about doing either a classroom scavenger hunt and/OR a rules/expectations scavenger hunt. I also plan to do a textbook scavenger hunt to familiarize the kids with their new textbooks (which may be different from what they are used to).
7. I was thinking about doing a "Mr. G by the Numbers" ice-breaker, where I share with them 10 - 15 numbers that are important to me (or perhaps do it as a quiz where they have to match the numbers to the important facts). And then have them create their own and share out (and decorate it nicely to hang up?).
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