Excel Flashcards template

Holy moly. Why didn’t I think of this sooner? I just created an excel template for 12 flashcards per page, where the inputs go into a table on the first worksheet and the flashcards are created on the second worksheet. This way, I don’t have to constantly try to align and rethink where the corresponding [...]

Dear Basketball…

Kind of random, but I had this assignment come up in conversation and so I went back to re-read the letter before sending it out to a friend and I was reminded of just how good it was. Of just how good he was. It’s a letter to basketball written by Michael Jordan after his [...]

Vocab Scavenger Hunt

I used to hate introducing new vocabulary words. I still swear by my Verbal Vocab for constantly reviewing vocab words throughout the school year, but oftentimes in Geometry, the lecture on the introduction of over a dozen new vocab words in one class can get so dull, dry, and just boring. Kids mostly tune me out [...]

Really kid? You need fingers for 8+2?

Several years ago at my very first math conference, I accidentally walked in to a session for elementary teachers (before learning that they were categorized by grade levels for you). It was on  Singaporean Math, where I finally understood what “number sense” meant. Out of all the epiphanies and eye-openers that I was absolutely amazed [...]

Better than the “Mad Minute” Drills

It doesn’t surprise me at this point, but I have many 9th graders who  can’t multiply… by 2, let alone by 8. count 12-2 or 8+2 on their fingers. Hell, I’ve even seen 3+2 need fingers. forget how to do 4-3 when taught the existence of a 3-4. So what do we do as high [...]

Geometry Verbal Vocab and Tools

*update 2* This is, BY FAR, the BEST thing to happen to my Geometry class! EVER!! *update 1* Having a physical set of flashcards ready is also nice when students come in for tutoring. If I know it’s their vocab that they lack, I sit them down w/ my set and just have them go through [...]

M&M Catapult

I’ve been eye-ing this for awhile now so I was so excited to run this!! SO excited! I first read about this from Sweeney Math and seriously fell in love with it because the math in it is not forced. I really dislike those forced math projects, though I must admit, I use them sometimes [...]

Pyramids

I had to scan this for a friend today and so I thought I might post it. It’s a template to building a transparent pyramid w/ two standing triangles inside. My kids were having a really hard time visualizing it a few years back so I created this. They had to solve for the sides [...]

Calculus Camp 2010!

Since this is on a math teacher’s site, here are the scores differently dissected, but all true: 60% of my class passed last year No one passed the year before One person passed with a 3 the year before that (2007) I had more 4s than 3s on that exam last year Out of the [...]