Now that we have survived the first 5 weeks of our new Algebra program, I thought it would be helpful to write down some initial thoughts on how things are going. It has been really exciting to see something that was just a crazy idea last year morph into a real program that we are already really proud of now. There have been some adjustments already and there are some things we are still trying to figure out but overall the feedback from our students and the teachers involved has been positive.
Here’s what has worked well:
- We spent the first two and a half weeks establishing a group culture of the class. We discussed growth mindset and had all of our students take the “How to Learn Math for Students” course. We spent time discussing the messages from this course with our students.
- There are a lot of moving parts to this course (online learning through Carnegie Learning, collaborative activities, how Schoology is organized, GoFormative exit tickets, topic guides, etc.) which can be overwhelming if everything was explained at once. Instead we used the first two and a half weeks to chunk things out and explain each one separately before putting it all together.
- We had all of our students take the Mathematic Diagnostic Testing Project High School Readiness test. We will also test them again when they complete the Algebra program. This will be one way we measure the success of this program.
- Students are truly moving at their own pace. Those who are familiar with the concepts in the first topic have moved quickly through it and already taken their first assessment. We also have some students who need the extra time to really master the content and are moving at the right pace for them. This wouldn’t happen in a traditional classroom.
- The four teachers who are implementing this program (shout out to Mary Beth Dittrich, Kristina Levesque, and Christy Marin!) work well together. We communicate often with one another. We are all flexible with what we need to do each class period (even when it’s decided 10 minutes before class). We do not always agree with one another but we are comfortable speaking our thoughts. We are able to discuss things openly and honestly to come to a solution that is best for our students.
- Carnegie Learning is a good tool for our online component of the program. The problems are rich and require students to be engaged. The reporting section allows us as teachers to determine where they are struggling and what the students need extra support with. Students are also able to go back into the program in review mode without losing their saved data which is a huge plus.
- The new furniture is amazing. This program would not be what it is now with the old desks. The new furniture allows students to work well in groups, using their smaller white boards when needed. The individual desks work well for the online learning or assessments. Plus the colors of the chairs brighten up the room and change the learning environment.
This is just a short list of what has worked well. There are so many more including hearing students comment that they really understood something or watching them work well with their groups on collaborative activities.
We do have some challenges:
- We have 4 teachers for over 94 students in period 3. Sometimes we need an additional teacher (or two!) in the classroom to work with students, particularly those who are struggling. In the past these students would have had 2 periods of math in a smaller class setting. One requirement we’ve established in our program is that a teacher signs off on the collaborative activities. When doing so we ask each student in the group to explain to us what they have just learned. This is a great way for us to gauge student understanding and to see that everyone is responsible for their own learning. However at times multiple groups need to be signed off and we just don’t have enough teachers to get around to everyone.
- Space is an issue. The new furniture is great but having separate classrooms isn’t as ideal. As teachers sometimes we are in one classroom but can’t necessarily see what is going on in other classrooms. We try and pop in and out of the classrooms during the period but it’s not always possible. If we had a larger, open space we would be able to spread ourselves out to help the students more.
- The 45 minute class periods are tough. It’s not quite enough time for students to transition to more than one activity once you account for taking attendance in the beginning, explaining which classrooms are for each activity, and ending a few minutes early for the exit ticket. The block periods work better for this program.
- As teachers we need to find more time to meet to discuss how things are working and what adjustments we need to make. It’s hard finding that time even with a common 7th period prep. Teachers have other classes they are teaching and need to use this prep for those classes at times. We also have so much to discuss that even if we used every 7th period, there’s still always more to talk about. This collaboration is so important though. Yesterday we graded our first topic assessment together and this was necessary to make sure we are all grading the same way. But it takes time which has become a precious commodity.
Despite the challenges I am so excited for what we are doing. I am loving watching our students engage in mathematics in a totally different way. I’m inspired by the dedication and commitment from my colleagues. I know that we will continue to reflect on what we are doing and revise it to continuously improve as we strive to meet the needs of all of our students.
We would love you to come visit the organized chaos of our Algebra program. We meet periods 3 and 4 in rooms 2, 5, 6, and MacLab. Come by anytime as we would love to hear your feedback on what you observe and any ideas you may have to improve on this program.