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CONNECTING KNOWLEDGE
with UNDERSTANDING 
{ONE LESSON AT A TIME}

STRATEGIES FOR PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

2/7/2022

5 Comments

 
Feel prepared with these Strategies for Parent-Teacher Conferences! Several free handouts included to help you prepare.

​​I want to preface this post with the fact that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy for how to conduct parent-teacher conferences. There are MANY ideas and methodologies that have been used by all levels of teachers. It is important to choose the best method that works for YOU.
 
I’d like to share a strategy that worked for me and can be used to help you set up your parent-teacher conferences. I have included two FREE templates for you to use to prepare for parent-teacher conferences.


Begin by using the SET IT UP template to decide WHAT you want to achieve during the conference and HOW you want to achieve it. This handout can be used digitally by typing in your content or if you are a paper/pencil person, you can print and complete it that way.
Free handout to help teachers set up and prepare for parent-teacher conferences.

CREATE A GOAL

​Decide the important topics you want to share and/or discuss during the conference. Let’s face it, you simply cannot cover everything you want to during the conference. My conferences were always set for 15 minutes, so I had to pick and choose 3-5 areas I wanted to discuss to give the parent/guardian a good picture of their child’s progress.

CHOOSE A METHOD

​I find having some kind of form filled out prior to the conference helps keep the meeting focused. I prefer a RUBRIC in which I fill out for each student that includes the level of understanding for the units of study for the semester, work ethic, attitude towards learning, and attention. This has been by far the best thing I’ve done for having successful parent-teacher conferences!
 
I usually print the rubric and highlight each area, so parents/students can leave with a hard copy. But, you can also share each rubric with them virtually by sharing your screen and/or via email. Click on the image for an editable version of this rubric.
Free handout to help teachers set up and prepare for parent-teacher conferences.

ATTENDANCE

I used to only meet with the parent/guardian, but one year I changed it so that the student had the option to attend. I found that students enjoyed hearing about their progress and the good things they were doing in class. It was also helpful for them to be part of the honest conversation on areas they could improve. I truly think who attends varies on each teacher’s situation, so again, do what is best for YOU.

EXECUTE YOUR PLAN

​What needs to be prepared in advance? For me, I filled out a rubric for each student and made a checklist of appointments to keep the meetings efficient and on time. During the conference, I explain each area of the rubric and give a few examples. Parents were also happy to walk away with something they could reflect on with their child.

REFLECTIONS

​I am the type of person that always wants to improve! I am constantly analyzing lessons, projects, activities, etc., so of course I want to reflect on how I set up and execute my conferences to make them even better the next time.
 
Using the SET IT UP document helps me plan for conferences each year and having a RUBRIC I can edit for each quarter/semester helps me make the necessary adjustments for each conference.

Here are some other strategies my fellow mathtastic friends have used with their students:


TARGET BASED GOAL SETTING
by Brooklyn's Brightest
​
Learning Targets Based Goal Setting- a way for students to own their progress, and reflect on mistakes. A great piece to present to parents when you want to show what needs improvement in regards to academics but also celebrate what has been mastered.
​(free resource included)
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TEAM APPROACH
by Math Giraffe

Work together as a team to prepare for each conference.  Students do self-evaluations that they present to parents alongside the teaching team's evaluation. 
 
Homeroom teachers act as representatives of the entire teaching team, while students take accountability and share input about any discrepancies / similarities between the two forms.
(free download included)
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​DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PARENTS
by Mrs E Teaches Math

Even with perfect classroom management and planning, you will encounter a student with parents that take issue with your teaching. These ideas and tips for dealing with difficult parents will help you enjoy your kids and have a great school year!
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Document, document, document!
by Mrs E Teaches Math

​Document everything! Save work samples and take notes.

We hope you find these
​parent-conference strategies helpful!
5 Comments

10+ PRINT AND DIGITAL MATH RESOURCES

1/18/2022

0 Comments

 
Discover a variety of math resources that can be used both in-person and virtual! Grades 6-12
​Have you had a few school days when you wake up to find out you are teaching virtual today instead of in-person learning? And then think…NOOOOOO, I had the BEST activity planned today! This is becoming more and more common. It causes teachers stress, disruption to learning, and overall, is very frustrating.
 
Well, guess what?! I have some MATHTASTIC resources to share with you that you can either use in-person OR virtual because they are printable and digital. That’s right, with ONE resource you have access to both versions, which means you can switch from in-person teaching to virtual (and vice versa) and continue with your original lesson plans.
 
Start using these resources today to save yourself the frustration of having to change your lesson last minute!

ALGEBRA AND BEYOND PRINT & DIGITAL RESOURCES:

REAL WORLD PROJECTS – Are you out for a few days and need students to do independent work? These projects are perfect! Students learn how to connect what they learned in class with real world scenarios.
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​BATTLE MY MATH SHIP – Students love this spin on the classic game of Battleship! Students try to sink their opponents' ships by solving math problems. Perfect partner activity to review any math topic. Set them up in a breakout room and away they go! Over 70 battleships to choose from!
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​NAME THAT FUNCTION – Working with functions? Great! These activities help students critically think about graphs and their attributes. These were the best for when I had half my class in person and half virtual because students could discuss and learn together no matter their location.
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ALGEBRA LESSONS WITH VIDEOS – Teaching a new topic today? No problem. These lessons can be shared with your students via a password protected site. They include a video warm-up, guided notes, and homework. You can demonstrate the learning in Zoom or use some of the FREE pre-recorded videos you will find here: INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
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MORE MATHTASTIC PRINT & DIGITAL RESOURCES:
*Click on the name or image to go to the resources.
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​
GEOMETRY TASK CARDS from Kacie Travis – Task Cards are great for independent or collaborative work! They are also a fun station activity. These can also be assigned digitally for another helpful option! Read more about these task cards HERE.
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STATIONS MAZE from Mrs. E Teaches Math – Stations mazes are great because they get students up and moving around the room. They also encourage students to check their work carefully since an incorrect answer will eventually send them back to a problem they have already solved.  A digital version is included for absent students.
BOOM CARDS from Kate's Math Lessons – Your students will LOVE getting instant feedback with these digital task cards!  In a nutshell, Boom Cards are interactive, self-checking activities.  Students are shown one question at a time and get immediate feedback on their answers.  Boom Cards can also be printed if you prefer paper task cards for stations, games, or scavenger hunts. Read more about these activities HERE.
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BINGO from Teaching High School Math – Playing bingo is a great way for students to review topics that they have been taught. Fun for the students and a formative assessment for teachers.   Having an online option makes it even better! Read more about these BINGO activities HERE.
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MINI MYSTERIES from Lauren Fulton  –Who doesn’t love a good mystery? With Mini Mysteries, students use standards-based math problems to solve murder mysteries! Each mystery comes with a mystery story, clue sheet (AKA, math problems that don’t feel like math problems), and a class set of suspect cards. As students work their way through the clue sheet, they narrow down the suspect list to find the guilty suspect! Print & digital versions come in each set.
MATH CHOOSE YOUR OWN JOURNEY BOOKS from Math Giraffe – Within the story are situations in which the reader must solve problems that are integrated into the storyline. Students make choices on how to proceed as well as how they’d like to solve the problems and head to the pages that they are directed to. When a student chooses a method that is not the most efficient way to solve a particular problem, the book explains why their choice was not the best and directs them how to continue. When they choose an incorrect equation, they are corrected. Since the book is partially self-correcting, the teacher correcting and grading is very minimal.
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OLD MATH GUY from Free to Discover - Engage your math students in interactive matching activities TWO different ways! Students play Old Math Guy (think Old Maid) in small groups. “Matches” are mathematical matches between 2 cards (ie 2(x+4) and 2x+8). Need a digital solution? The same cards can be used to complete an individual drag-n-drop practice activity in Google Slides.
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​PRINT AND DIGITAL MATH PUZZLES from Scaffolded Math and Science – Each set of math puzzles comes in both print and digital form. The digital versions are drag-and-drop in GOOGLE Slides. The puzzles make for engaging classwork, station activities, partner work and review.

We hope these print and digital resources help you teach in-person and virtual!

ACCESS the Algebra and Beyond Free Resource Library
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A STRATEGY FOR LEARNING TARGETS

9/17/2021

8 Comments

 
In this post I will be using the term learning targets, also known as objectives, benchmarks, indicators, and standards. Each school uses different verbiage, so I wanted to clarify before reading further.
Display learning targets for each unit of study in math class for students to see what they've learned, are learning, and are going to learn.
​
I need to preface this post by letting everyone know I did not come up with the idea of clip charts. I have to give the credit to a colleague of mine named Joey. When I was a Curriculum Director, I was observing Joey giving a lesson. That’s when I saw the clip charts hanging in the front of his classroom. I LOVED everything about them! Find out why…

What are clip charts?
Clip charts are a way for teachers to display content they want students to refer to during a lesson and/or unit. In my classroom, I use them to show all the learning targets for a unit of study. They are great to hang up at the beginning of a unit, mark off as you work through each learning target, and highlight the learning target of the day with an arrow. Simple and easy way to show what students learned, are learning, and are going to learn.

Display learning targets for each unit of study in math class for students to see what they've learned, are learning, and are going to learn.

​Why are clip charts helpful for teachers?
I don’t know about you, but I constantly was forgetting to post the learning target each day. I was getting mad at myself, not only because it is an expectation set by our school and I was dropping the ball, BUT because I knew my students wanted to understand what their learning goals were each day.

I was having a hard time planning, organizing, and consistently posting the standard on the board for various reasons. When I saw the clip charts hanging in Joey’s room, I knew in that instant that they were going to solve my problems…​
  • Ever have to change a lesson last minute? No problem! All you have to do is move the arrow to the different learning target.
  • Have a substitute? No worries, the learning target is already posted.
  • Forget to post the learning target on the board? No you didn’t…it’s already posted for the entire unit of study.
  • Can’t remember which learning targets you used last year? Problem solved. You can reuse these year after year, so you don’t have to remember.
  • Ever have a student want to know what they are going to learn every single day? Great! All the learning targets are posted for the entire unit.
 
These will help you stay organized, save you time, and benefit your students…basically make your life easier, with simple preparation that lasts years.

Why are clip charts helpful for students?
One of my former students came up to me one day and said that she missed me as her teacher. One of the reasons was because she always knew what we were learning each day, as I had made it so clear with the clip charts. With her current teacher, it wasn’t posted anywhere, not even by topic on the handouts. She felt this was negatively affecting how she was able to prepare and study for assessments.

Maybe this teacher was having the same issues I had before I started using clip charts? Either way, students NEED to know thee learning targets in order to be successful. Clip charts are an easy way to solve this because students are able to view the learning targets throughout the unit.
 
How do you use clip charts?
  • HANG in the front of the classroom for students to view the learning targets each day
  • EVERY unit, heading, and learning target slides are EDITABLE
  • EDIT slides to meet your unit of study learning targets
  • The targets are meant to SCAFFOLD topics within a unit of study
  • Use the TODAY arrows to identify learning targets of the day
  • Cross off the learning targets that have already been covered
  • Use more than one arrow for a lesson when covering several learning targets
  • SAVE and STORE these clip charts to use year after year
Display learning targets for each unit of study in math class for students to see what they've learned, are learning, and are going to learn.
Ready to solve your learning target problems?!
​Awesome! I have a free clip chart set on linear equations waiting for you in my resource library. Subscribe her to get instant access!
SUBSCRIBE

​Do you already know you want full sets that are EDITABLE?!

​I have that too! Click below on the classroom set you need.
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Want to see other ways you can use clip charts in math class?
You can use them for formulas and step-by-step instructions to simplify expressions and solve equations. Many uses to help support students during the learning process! Check out Mr Jones Online for these types of clip charts.
8 Comments

FUNCTION AND GRAPH CONNECTIONS

5/17/2021

4 Comments

 
FREE linear equations and graphs review activity. Students make connections between different forms of linear equations, intercepts, points on a line, slope, and the graphs.

My math catchphrase is “connecting knowledge with understanding”, which you can read more about HERE. Every time I create an activity, this phrase is what I think about. It helps me stay focused on the true goal and outcome of what I want for each activity.

There is one activity in particular that really embodies this statement. It’s an activity that I’ve used over and over with my students for different types of functions. At first, students tend to have productive struggle with this activity. BUT once they get the hang of it, they realize how making these connections helps them fully understand functions and their graphs. I call this activity Name That Function.

What is Name That Function?
Name That Function is an activity where students analyze graphs of functions and make connections to their characteristics and the function that represents each graph. Students are given a fill-in-the blank table where some information is already given. Then they match the graphs to the characteristics and fill in the missing information.

​There are different activities based on the type of function being studied. Each activity includes a print and digital version. Here are the different types of Name That Function activities and what attributes are reviewed:
​​​Linear Functions
​
slope, y-intercept, x-intercept, points on the line, slope-intercept form, point-slope form,  standard form, and parallel and perpendicular lines (optional).
Quadratic functions and graphs activity. Perfect review at the end of the unit. Helps students make connections between equations, characteristics, and graphs.

​
​Quadratic Functions

range, x-intercepts, minimum or maximum, parabola opening up or down, vertex, and finding the equation given a graph
Characteristics of Functions
domain, range, intercepts, local min, local max, intervals of increase and decrease, end behavior, parent functions, continuity, and evaluating a function from a graph

Rational Functions
factor and simplify, vertical asymptotes, holes, horizontal asymptotes, x-intercepts, y-intercepts, and domain

Parent Functions
domain, range, symmetry, intervals of increase and decrease, end behavior, and the parent function equation
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Digital Version
Why is this activity helpful?
I cannot tell you how many times students treat equations and graphs as separate entities that have no connection. When, in fact, everything about them is 100% connected! I think this happens because we, as teachers, scaffold the content, and in doing so separate each aspect of a function into separate lessons. Which makes them appear disconnected.

Great news! This activity brings an entire function unit together, so students can understand functions based on the equation, attributes, and graph as a whole.


Do students enjoy this activity?
Yes, my students enjoy making these connections and feel more prepared for assessments because of it! But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here are some reviews from other math teachers that have used these activities in their classroom as well:

Great activity! Worked out perfectly in my stations and my students were very engaged! Thank you for sharing your creativity with me! – TexasMath4Success
 
Excellent resource! Really helped my students make the connections I wanted them to make. Thank you! – Passion 4 Mathin
 
This was a great activity after our introductory lesson. Students were able to compare and contrast different types of quadratics and it reinforced the concepts of min/max and vertex form. – Anna K.
 
I used this as a group test in my class. Students loved the activity and we’re challenged to really understand all aspects of quadratic functions. – The Square Root of Teaching
 
Great activity - my kids were able to apply their understanding and had great math conversations while they were working together. – Heather K.
 
Such rich discussions took place with this activity. It worked great as a chapter review.
– Michelle E.
 
Was very helpful for my students of different levels, engaging – Shan H B.
 
Perfect activity to test students knowledge and application of properties of quadratics and how they affect both graph and equations. – Grove Math
 
This resource had just the rigor I was looking for! Thank you! I had my students use it in groups. I used part A for my on-level class and part B for my honors class. Great resource!
​– Theresa Simmons
 
This activity engages students to understanding characteristics of function families. Great discourse and enrichment activity. – Tony R.
 
Used for an in-class activity. Engaging and fun for students. Activity was thorough with great examples included.  – Kristina R.
 
Students had to think to get the whole picture. Thanks! – Lynn S.
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Can’t wait to get your hands on a Name That Function?! No problem, I have TWO waiting for you for FREE!

If you are NEW to Algebra and Beyond, CLICK on either image below to sign up and receive the activities. If you are already part of the Algebra and Beyond Community, click HERE and use the member passcode to access the activities.
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Parent Functions: Linear, Quadratic, Absolute Value, and Cubic
Are you already convinced that your students will LOVE this activity?! Choose the activities that best fit your curriculum:
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4 Comments

iMATH ACTIVITES BLOG POST: iSTEP

10/1/2018

1 Comment

 
What are iMath activities?
iMath is a series of activities designed with the intent to engage students in math by putting a fun twist on their favorite phone apps* - Facebook, iMessage, Instagram, and Tumblr. Each iMath activity covers different skills in a unique way. Students add each activity to their phone/tablet template that can be on display in the classroom. Below is a description of iSTEP, which is meant to model iMessage.
*None of these activities are actual digital apps or affiliated with the app they are modeling.
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iStep is a great way for students to verbally communicate math concepts. Perfect activity for your Algebra class!Pin it
What is the purpose?
COMMUNICATION! Often students can solve a math equation, but have a difficult time verbally explaining what they are doing. This activity addresses this problem. Each student is to “text” with a friend who needs help with a math concept. Their classmate asks how to solve an equation and the student has to explain each step needed in order to get a solution. Then their classmate “texts” back showing the algebra they did to complete the step. I LOVE how these activities have transformed how students think and discuss math in class!!!

How do I use this in my classroom?
The day before an assessment I set up review stations. Each station has an activity that covers a different concept students will see on the assessment. I use iStep at one station and other stations may include Battle My Math Ship, Name That Function, or an activity from some of my favorite TpT friends: Kacie Travis, All Things Algebra, Mrs E Teaches Math, Free to Discover, Scaffolded Math and Science, or Math Giraffe.
​
Which app does this activity model?
iStep’s design is similar to texting in iMessage, WhatsApp, or any other form of texting app. Let’s face it, texting is one of the most popular ways people communicate with each other in this day and age. So let’s have students do it with math too!

iStep is a great way for students to verbally communicate math concepts. Perfect activity for your Algebra class!
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iStep math activity template for Algebra class!Pin it
How do you do this activity?
Each student will…

Step 1 – Need one iStep sheet. 

Step 2 – Read the question in the first bubble on the left, which is meant to be a text from their classmate.

Step 3 – Use the first text bubble on the right to write in words the first step needed to solve the problem.

Step 4 – Each student then trades sheets with a classmate. The classmate is to follow the student’s written step and use the second text bubble on the left to show their algebra.

Step 5 – Students trade sheets back and forth until the math problem is solved.

Step 6 – The last two text bubbles are for students to write a positive message and a closing.

Step 7 – Add the sheet to the phone/tablet template and hang the activity on the wall or bulletin board.
 
BOOM...students are able to communicate with each other on how to solve math equations! Add more iMath activities to show mathematical growth and use for review at the end of the year.

iStep is a great way for students to verbally communicate math concepts. Perfect activity for your Algebra class! This one is covers two-step inequalities.
Pin it
iStep is a math activity on order of operations is for students to verbally communicate math concepts. Perfect activity for your Algebra class!
Pin it
What’s included in each iStep activity?
  • iMath phone/tablet template
  • 30 iStep sheets
  • Answer key

Want to learn about the other iMath Activities?
You can! I will be blogging about each activity every week for the next few weeks. The next post will be about  Doodlr (Tumblr). Check out the last post on Mathbook.

If you’d like to try an iMath activity for FREE, you can find the following in my Resource Library, so sign up here: 
Yes, I think these look awesome and want to try for free!
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Click below to go directly to ALL my iMATH activities:
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    Students battle using their math skills to attack their opponents ships. Correct space and solution = a sunken ship. Algebra fun at it's best!

    TEACHER: And that is how you find the MIN/MAX on your calculator. *BOOM* Drop the mic! STUDENT: What do I put in Y1? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ No more of this! Give your students a great reference sheet to put in their notebook and NEVER ask you the keystrokes again!
    Parent Function Graphic Organizers - domain, range, continuity, intervals of increase/decrease, min/max, end behavior, intercepts, and the graph
    Graphic Organizer: domain, range, intercepts, asymptotes, intervals of inc/decrease, max/min, and end behavior.
    Students will create a roller coaster that demonstrates their knowledge and understanding of the following skills: • Graph a continuous function that represents a roller coaster using parent functions. • Write a piecewise-defined function to represent the entire roller coaster. • Attributes of functions: Domain/Range, Min/Max, and Intervals of Inc/Dec
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