I thought I would use this first blog to introduce my blog and myself. This blog is dedicated to the happenings, struggles, celebrations, and resources from my secondary math classroom.
I am entering my 4th year of teaching at the secondary level. This fall will mark the first time ever that I will be teaching in the same school district two years in a row. That's right! For the past three years, I have spent July and August getting to know my new school district, pouring over new curriculum, working with a new team of teachers, and contacting brand new students and parents. It has been a whirlwind, but I wouldn't trade it. I have gotten to work in a wide variety of schools with amazing students and teachers who have made me a better teacher.
I graduated college with degrees in mathematics and secondary education. After I graduated, I opted to go full time into a Master's program. As part of this program, I taught College Algebra at the university. I highly recommend for high school teachers to teach at the college-level if ever given the opportunity. It has allowed me to be a better high school teacher and better prepare my students for college mathematics.
After a year of working on my Master's, I moved so I could teach at the second largest high school in the state. I taught a year-in-semester course where we met two class periods so that we could work through Algebra 1 and Geometry in one year. I also taught Algebra 2 and Discrete Mathematics. I truly learned the power of a professional learning community at this school, and it helped me tremendously my first year.
The next year, I moved back to finish my Master's full time. As part of this program, I supervised student teachers around the state. I learned so much from visiting 15 different classrooms in two different school districts.
Ironically, my next teaching position was one of the smallest school in the state. I was the only math teacher at the secondary level. I taught 7th grade math, 8th grade math, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Algebra 3 with Trig at a rural K-12 school. There were 45 students in the secondary, and my smallest class had two students in it. I learned the meaning of community while at this school and how it can permeate through the town. At the school's first ever 6-man football game, 90% of the town's population was at the football field cheering. It was also an interesting experience to go from collaborating with math teachers to collaborating with English, Social Studies, Science, and Agriculture teachers. It became less about the content and more about the students.
Last year, I moved again and was split between a junior high and high school. I taught Honors 6th grade at the junior high which was a first year program that brought 6th graders from the elementary schools to take an accelerated math class. I should note that our junior high schools only have 7th and 8th graders. At the high school, I taught IB Math 1, Honors Geometry, and Honors Algebra 2.
This year I will return to the same high school and continue teaching IB Math 1, Honors Geometry, and Honors Algebra 2. I will also pick up IB Math SL 1. I look at this year as my first 2nd year of teaching. Instead of looking through new curriculum, I spent the time looking back at what worked and didn't work. I have lots of new activities and ideas for the year to come.
I wish everyone a great 2014-2015 school year!
