Geometry Curriculum Map Reflections

Today was day one of a two-day workshop to prepare teachers for the common core.  Some interesting things about my state (that I haven't necessarily seen from other states):

• last year common core was implemented in grades K - 8, this year common core is being implemented in Algebra I, next year in Geometry, and the following year in Algebra II/Trig.
• we have modules
• we don't teach any kind of probability in Geometry
• our state is handing us a curriculum map and the individual lessons

Corresponding thoughts:

• I am so grateful that we are not implementing Common Core Geometry this year.  My heart goes out to all the Algebra I teachers. 
• FYI:  Modules are a way of organizing the standards.  They're kind of like a collection of units.  At least, that's the way I look at them because you can easily chunk out units from the modules.  Interestingly, modules are actually divided into topics.  There is a mid-module test and a summative module test.
• Hallelujah!
• They give you everything!  On the one hand, it's great to see things broken down, to know exact expectations, to have something to start out with, work from, and adapt.  On the other hand, it makes me feel like they have no faith in us.  

So what does all this mean for me?

So far only the first module has been released, so I only know what the state wants me to do for the first 45 days or so of the school year.  I do have the choice to adopt the modules as they are, or to adapt the modules as I see fit.  Either way, I need to adapt.

I've already implemented the changes from my first (technically second) curriculum map that I've detailed in my previous post.  After having a better idea of the expectations, I am thinking of tweaking my map a little more, but not overhauling it all over again.  Basically, I don't have to teach common core this year, I do need to still teach Geometry as it was last year.  My plan has been to start integrating common core.  With the map that I have so far, I've made changes to my existing curriculum as I'd planned to regardless of common core (mainly in terms of sequencing).  I'm going to use what I already have, and make changes along the way.  Next year, I will have to make more changes.  Most likely, I'll align closer to what the state has.

My biggest goal with devising my new curriculum map was lumping certain topics that seemed to belong together.  Mainly graphing and transformations.  The thing about the common core (that I did not realize until today), is that transformations do not necessarily happen on the coordinate plane anymore.  So my whole master plan of learning about Geometry in the coordinate plane, and then having that lead into transformations is kind of out the window. Oh well, I'll adjust it next year.

My Homework Board

This year I am thrilled to get started on setting up my classroom for a new year.  Last year I had less than a week to clean out the room from the previous inhabitant, and get it ready for the year.  I'll have a before and after and after again post in the next few weeks.  There were so many things that I had to set up as I go.

My favorite thing that I've implemented was my homework board.  I have one wall with marker boards, and another wall with chalk boards.  These two walls are perpendicular to each other.  Unfortunately, my SMART board is fixed to the wall that my chalk board is on.  Determined to not let the marker boards go to waste, and to free my chalk board space, I've made the marker board closest to the front of the room my homework board.

I keep all homework assignments from the week up until the end of the day Friday.  I also had a section of announcements.  I very quickly tired of having to draw lines all over my board to designate space for each day of the week and then find space for announcements, so I organized it.  I printed out labels for each day of the week, a label for announcements, and a label for the objective (not pictured).  I laminated and then taped these on the board, and separated the sections using blue painter's tape.  I know that I could have easily found cuter alternatives (can you believe all the cute patterns that are now available in duck tape?), but I did not want to ruin the surface of the board.

 Here is the final product:

New Geometry Curriculum - Take One

FINALLY!  After weeks of agonizing, I am done! With the first draft.  Now I have to update all of my resources, assessments, mathematical practices, and oh yeah, do several more drafts!  (Actually, this was the second draft, I started the first one during the school year, scrapped it, and ultimately just went back and tweaked it.)  I've searched online for weeks for a scope and sequence I could just adjust.  Sadly, one did not exist.  However, I did see many interesting things that have me thinking more about my own.

Here are some of the things I'm pondering:

• Perhaps units 1 and 2 should be switched.  Like the old curriculum I had?  Yes.  But the standards would make more sense.  (Right now I have kids proving things without knowing about Geometric reasoning.)  The thing that really bugs me about the "Geometric Reasoning" unit is that there are no standards to directly address it.  Too bad it's kind of necessary.
• How do I teach transformations?  Like always:  translations, reflections, then rotations with all of the standards going for each sub-topic at once?  Or do I teach each standard and develop translations, reflections, and rotations.  Idealistically I want to follow the standards.  Realistically my kids will probably behead me if I do.
• Trapezoids and kites.  Do they stay or do they go?  Standards only address parallelograms, but how can students differentiate between parallelograms and non-parallelograms without these examples?
• Pythagorean Theorem does not appear until unit 9 although there are definite applications from the beginning.  However, Pythagorean Theorem is usually the only thing kids remember from 8th/9th grade.  I think it will stay where it is.
• I'm disobeying my state's ideal for length of time spent on modules.  I can justify module 1; I've integrated topics from module 4 (Plus Geometric Reasoning.).  Module 2 is supposed to be 45 days; my module 2 is 20-something.  My mistake or theirs?  
• In speaking of module 4, where is it?  I might as well integrate the entire module elsewhere.  To me it makes no sense to hold off on coordinate plane applications until the very end when students could use it sooner to gain a better/deeper understanding right off the bat.  Am I right?  I know I'm right.
• Lateral and surface area, where art thou?  (And spheres?  Additional material, you say?  No further comment.)
• Constructions of equilateral triangle, square, and regular hexagon inscribed in a circle.  Beginning or end?  Probably back to the beginning, but I like the idea of summing things up at the end (you know, with the circles in their new designated position).
• The suggested number of days are off, and I'm okay with that.  I think that I'll most likely teach, and then adjust my scope and sequence for next year.
• Essential questions.  I hate them.  The ones used in my scope and sequence are recycled from last year.  I was hoping to come up with some better ones, but I haven't.  And all of the essential questions I found online when I was looking for samples are not actually essential questions.  (I wish I could have gotten away with essential questions like those when I was in school!)
• Probability?  In Geometry?  What is this? 

If you're really interested, you can see what I have so far here.
*Disclaimer:  My state is not implementing common core Geometry until the 2014-2015 school year.  I'm just determined to get ahead of the game.  To that end, there are a few topics that have to be removed after the upcoming school year.

I've finally taken the plunge...

Last week, I did something that I said I would never, ever do.  I joined Twitter.  It was thanks to this blog post here.  I found so many people to follow, I need to scale back and follow less (too many celebrities, I couldn't help myself).  Creating the account has already paid off.  On Friday, I viewed a webinar that was incredibly helpful for implementing common core.  You can follow me @BusyMissBeebe.

I have also committed to start using interactive notebooks this year with my Geometry classes.  Largely thanks to this blog.  We'll see how this goes.  At first I was worried about how my high school students would respond to interactive notebooks, but after browsing some other blogs, I read some positive success stories of incorporating interactive notebooks with high school students.  (I have a couple of seniors enrolled in Geometry this year.)  My next concern was making sure all of my students have notebooks.  It's a difficult subject to broach.  Some students don't care, and others may not be able to afford them.  To that end, I created a project using Donor's Choose to help acquire the necessary supplies to start using interactive notebooks. I've also already purchased 24 notebooks.  I have a real addiction to school supply shopping.  It's definitely a sickness.

APPR Evidence Binder

This past year was my first, and having to go through an APPR process where no one really knew what was going on, and no one could completely advise me was difficult.  The whole entire thing was a huge learning experience.  My biggest take-away was that I need keep a physical binder.  My school uses Google tools, and they advised us to upload everything into Google Docs.  I sincerely tried.  I was successful for the month of September.

I decided to take a proactive approach, and created an actual binder to use for next year.  I created some simple documents on Microsoft Word and I feel completely at ease going in to the new school year.  What's in my binder?  A calendar (August - June), a parent contact log, a student contact log (for emails), a meetings log, professional collaborations log, a formative assessment checklist,  professional development log, and a reflections log.  I have tons of pockets in my binder so I can add other things as I go.  (For example:  sample email correspondence with parents - I can just print them and place them in my binder.)

I love what I have so far, but I am determined to improve.  I already have another document I want to add.  This is definitely a work in progress.  Any ideas or suggestions?

The file of documents that I've included in my binder are available for purchase in my TPT Store.

Small Progress is Still Progress Made

I feel like I'm finally starting to make some progress. (Yay!)  My biggest challenge this past year was planning for my Contemporary Math course.  I was basically told that for the course I get to "teach whatever I want".  While it sounds like a great, wonderful, fun opportunity, it actually turned out to be a difficult process.  My biggest goal for the summer was to create curriculum map for the course.  With some inspiration from an Algebra I scope and sequence from a school I student taught in, I was able to put a whole new scope and sequence together.  I am beyond elated.  Some things I need to add though:  a more accurate number of days per unit, performance tasks and culminating projects (I have a bunch I found on http://www.insidemathematics.org/index.php/mathematical-content-standards, I just have to sift through them and find the ones that are suitable.), and resources (I have so many, but they're up on a website I use for work, and I cannot access it right now.).

I am so pleased with myself right now.  I've begun to tackle a scope and sequence for Geometry (trying a new approach for the third time).  On the one hand I want these things done and out of the way so that I can start planning for the school year.  On the other hand, I have workshop coming up at the end of July to help with the Geometry scope and sequence.  I'm in between on deciding if I should just get started now, and fix it during the workshop, or if I should just wait to avoid the frustration.  Decisions, decisions.

Desk File System

This was a lifesaver for me this year.  I started out with two letter trays stacked on top of each other, but half way through the year it was no longer working for me.  Even though I had the divider of using two trays, my papers ended up being one large pile, and I had to dig through all my papers to find one paper.  Then I saw this post on one of my favorite blogs, The Nest Effect.  It's a simple method that I was easily able to implement.  I bought the file box and hanging folders.  I set up the following labels:  To Grade, To Copy, To File, To Do, Important, Forms, Extras, Leave Assignments, Today, and Other.  I filed my papers according to the labels, and I remained organized for the rest of the year.  I loved adding in the "Today" tab.  It gave me a place to keep the worksheets I had to hand out that day.  (More about how I organize the worksheets for each class in my next post.)  The one thing that I absolutely loved by using this method of organization is that it keeps my papers upright, instead of laying flat in the letter trays, giving me more desk space.  (If there's one thing that I love in this life, it's having as much desk space as humanly possible!)  For next year, I plan to tweak my tabs and their placement a little bit.  Overall, though, it's one of my favorite organization systems.  I might even implement it in my home.