Teaching High School Math

Saturday, March 8, 2014

What are You Doing for Pi Day?

It's a great big math holiday!

Pi Day - March 14th - 3/14 - get it???

I love having a big celebration for Pi Day in my Geometry classes. I don't put on a big celebration in my other classes because I really love having something special for the kids to look forward to in Geometry.

I have celebrated Pi Day in various ways over the years, but here are some of my favorite activities.

1) Have a Pi recitation contest - Tell students about this ahead of time. You will be surprised which kids take on this challenge. Some kids will be able to memorize hundreds of digits! As a suggestion - find a webpage that shows the digits of pi and project them onto the screen in your classroom. Have the students turn and face the class. The student can recite the digits while the class watches. They will love it and be totally amazed!

2) Make Happy Pi Day stickers for everyone in the school to wear - anything to promote math! (Keep reading - you just might find a link to a free set of Pi Day stickers at the end of this post :)

3) Do you have access to iPads or computers in your classroom? Try my Pi Webquest!

Students will explore various websites and answer fun questions about the number Pi! I have also included 2 forms of a word search about the number pi.

4) Of course every student's favorite question - Are we going to get to eat pi(e)? If the answer to that question in your classroom is yes - try my Pi Day Placemat

This is a placemat similar to what kids get in a restaurant - except it has fun facts about pi! Laminate and reuse from year to year.

5) Another activity I've tried before is making a Pi Day bracelet with beads. I bought a huge bucket of beads from a craft store and assigned each digit from 0 to 9 a color. I projected the first 50 digits of the number pi on the screen and away they went. They each had something to take away from our Pi Day celebration.

If you are planning to celebrate Pi Day this year, head on over to this link on Teachers Pay Teachers and you can download my Pi Day Stickers for FREE. They are formatted to fit on Avery 5163 stickers. If you don't have stickers, you could just print on card stock, cut, and then hand them out.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

3 Million Strong Teachers Pay Teachers Sale!

Dust off those wish lists - it's time for the Winter Teachers Pay Teachers Sale!

This sale is to celebrate the 3 million teachers who buy and sell on Teachers Pay Teachers :)

I'd like to especially invite you to visit my store…

Teaching High School Math

and all of the other SUPER SECONDARY TEACHERS featured in this ad below - made by the fabulous Danielle Knight!

Saturday, February 22, 2014

February Secondary Link Up!

I don't know about you, but I've about had it with all of this snow and cold. We are certainly getting spring fever - the kids at school and the kids that live in my house. Mother Nature, I beg you, give us a BREAK!

So, in the midst of all of this weather, I somehow managed to miss posting the February Linky Party!

This link-up is for Secondary Teachers - (grades 6 - 12). You may post two paid and one free products in this link-up.

Have a great week!

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Super Secondary Super Sunday Sale!

Up to 20% off in all of these fabulous Secondary Stores TODAY ONLY!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

The App Socrative

First, let me say congratulations to the winners of my giveaway! Check below for the winners - there was one person I was unable to contact through email. Their email bounced back, so if that was you - let me know!

On to today's post ---

At the school where I teach, we are embarking on the journey of 1:1 iPad use next year. At our next faculty meeting, I have been assigned the task to present something about the app called Socrative. Check it out at Socrative

So, here is a bit of information for you, but I am also looking for any tips/tricks/thoughts you might have that I can incorporate into my presentation.

To put it simply, Socrative is sort of like using a clicker. Socrative is an app that allows you to ask your students questions and get immediate feedback from them. For example, you can ask a true/false or multiple choice question. Students get out their device that can connect to the internet and answer. You have immediate feedback on whether they understand a certain idea or can answer a certain question.

Here are some great things about Socrative:

Students don't have to create an account or remember a password.
You can ask a question on the spur of the moment. You don't have to create something in advance if you don't want to.
Students can use any device that can connect to the internet.
It's FREE!

A part of Socrative that I haven't explored too much is the ability to give a quiz. I see that you can do it, but I'm not so sure that I will use that capability…I can't see how you could keep students from doing someone else's quiz.

I am interested in any feedback you might have!

Friday, January 10, 2014

Huge Celebration and Teachers Pay Teachers Secondary Giveaway!

It was a little over a year ago that I found Teachers Pay Teachers. It has been a terrific year for me - I have met people I never would have met otherwise and because of them I have been re-inspired in my own classroom.

So, I wanted to celebrate by hosting a Secondary Giveaway! {Scroll down for TWO different giveaways - one for middle school and one for high school!}

Graphics by Dots of Fun and Pink Cat Studio

This giveaway is divided into two parts (keep scrolling down for the high school giveaway!) - a generous Middle School Giveaway which includes:

A $10 Starbucks Gift Card (sponsored by JoyInSixth Grade)
A Great Collection of Middle School Resources!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And a High School Giveaway which includes:

A $10 Teachers Pay Teachers Giftcard
A Fabulous Package of High School Resources!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for entering and good luck with your second semester!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

What Great Teachers Do Differently

Are you familiar with this book?

I got it for Christmas and it is terrific!

If you are so inclined, here is a link to look at this book on amazon...What Great Teachers Do Differently.

I have read about half of it so far and it really hits home with me about the various teachers I have had in my life, the teachers I have observed, and even about myself. There are a ton of great stories in this book that really show why certain attitudes of a teacher will help with class discipline, the learning of students, and the general class atmosphere. If I could sum things up…it basically comes down to compassion and awareness. Compassion for your students and awareness about what is going on around you. I am going to try to think about this book as I go through my days and interact with my students. I hope someday I can be GREAT :)

If I could humbly add one more thing that Great Teachers Do Differently, especially in high school, would be great teachers have to be completely in command of their subject area. Kids can quickly see through you…maybe this is especially true in math class. You have to be able to solve the problems assigned and make connections to other problems and topics. You have to be able to answer the question what if…and why? One of my biggest pieces advice to new math teachers is that you MUST do the homework you assign. Problems that you think were about to go one way can quickly go another and as a new teacher you need to see that before anyone else!

So it's snowy and cold here in the Midwest - I am predicting no school tomorrow - how about you?

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