Ready or Not

Ready or not, the students are here! Yesterday was the first day of school in Texas, and all things considering, it went extremely well. I have no complaints. For the first time ever, every one of my students on my roster showed up. I am enjoying getting to know each and every one of them. It’s been a very good start.

What a teacher does during the first three days of school sets the classroom atmosphere for the whole year. With high-stakes testing a main focus in education, I feel pressure to start math lessons on the second day of school in addition to assigning a full load of homework problems. Not this year.

A typical first day would consist of introducing myself and giving them a brief history of my teaching career, then going over my syllabus, procedures, and routines. BORING!! Plus at the end of the day my voice would be horse from talking so much. This year I gave a quick welcome and allowed the students to ask questions that they were dying to know about me. Can you believe the only question I received was from one student who wanted to know how old I am? I asked him how old I looked. He got that frightened look on his face, worried that he might give a wrong answer. I saved him and told him that I was plenty old enough to be his mother.

Instead of overloading the students with the same kind of information they were receiving in all their other classes, I wanted the students to participate in a group activity, thus allowing us to discuss group norms and expectations. The pre-algebra classes were given the task to build a one-inch platform made entirely of a letter-sized copier paper and absolutely nothing else. Did I mention that this platform must also support at least one 3-lb textbook? My algebra classes were given Sami’s straw tower activity. Although both courses had many creative structures, I was more impressed with how well the students interacted with one another.

Today’s class time was devoted to group presentations on group norms, using yesterday’s activities as a background for discussion.

I posed the question, “Why would we, in a math class, take the time to highlight group norms and point out qualities of a good presentation?”

A girl in all seriousness asked, “We’re in a math class?”

I am going to take that as a compliment, an indication that my classroom doesn’t feel like a typical math class. Some students wanted reassurance from me that group work was a norm that they can expect on a regular basis. I am more than happy to oblige!