Create An Effective Class Opener:
The first 5 minutes of the class period set the tone for the entire lesson. Ideally, teachers would start by sharing the agenda for the class period so that students will understand the expectations for what will be occurring. Next, teachers could post and articulate the learning objective or essential question to the class so that students know the purpose and, at the end of the lesson, can self-assess whether the objective has been met for them. Finally, the opener may include one or more warm-up issues as a way to review and assess students' prior knowledge in preparation for exposure to the new material.
Introduce Topics Using Multiple Representations:
The more types of representations that you will present to students addressing their different learning styles, the more likely they will truly understand the concept being presented. Different representations could include using manipulatives, showing a picture, drawing out the problem, and offering a symbolic representation. For example, when presenting linear relationships with one unknown, illustrate to students the same problem as an equation, on a number line, in words, and with photos.
Solve The Issues Many Ways:
In the best classroom environment, the teacher is able to show different ways to solve the same problem and encourage the students to come up with their own creative ways to solve them. The more strategies and approaches that students are exposed to, the deeper their conceptual understanding of the topic becomes. Empowering students to create their own problem-solving methods can make the teacher nervous. What if we do not follow their logic? What if they are incorrect? However, it's worth the risk to have them explore. After an individual, pair, or small group of students finish solving the class problem using a single method, encourage them to look for alternate ways to come up with the same correct solution.
Show The Application:
In a perfect world, we would always be able to demonstrate how each concept can be applied to the real world -- and when that is possible, it helps improve the students' understanding. When a concept cannot be applied in that manner, we can still share how it might be applied within mathematics or another subject field. An alternative choice is showing how the concept was developed through the history of mathematics. Consider taking a minute out of each lesson to show your students where or how math can be seen or used in life outside of the classroom.
Have Students Communicate Their Reasoning:
Students need to explain their reasoning when solving problems. In order for a teacher to determine if every student truly understands the objective for the class period, it is necessary for every student to communicate both orally and in writing. By giving the class 10 minutes to discuss their reasoning with each other while exploring multiple ways of solving the issues, you will promote excellent engagement and learning.
Finish Class With A Summary:
Everyone can get lost in the class period, and it is easy to lose track of your time until the bell rings and class is over. The final seven minutes might be the most critical in making sure that students have understood the day's learning objective. You can use this time to accomplish 3 very important things:
- A quick formative assessment to determine how much was learned, such as students self-rating their comfort with the concept on a 1-5 scale
- Reviewing the objective for the class period and brief discussion as to where the lesson can go next time
- Previewing the homework together to avoid any confusion
Understand What The Calculator Is Doing:
It’s not enough to know how to use the calculator; students need to know what the answer means. They should ask themselves what the calculator is doing for them, and always analyze the calculator’s answer. For example, if the teacher asks for “the square of negative 3,” many students will kind in “-3^2” which gives the answer “-9.” However, the real answer is “(-3)^2”, or 9. Students should play around with their calculators and become familiar with the way they work.