Things I've learned it's ok to do

Aaron, the primary geometry teacher at A3 is now teaching practically the same unit as I taught right now, to a different group of kids. As she is combating the same issues I ran into, I am pleased to be able to steal the ways with which she is dealing with them. A lot of things that she is doing, I feel like they are things for which I feel as if I need 'permission'. For instance, I need permission to give them lots of extra time, permission to extend the deadlines, permission to give different students with different needs different requirements or levels of expectations, permission to have students retake a quiz if they are unsuccessful. I don't know if it is my background as a good student, or how much time I've spent recently in college, where you are accountable for your own assignments, and have to make things up on your own time, or if these students are particularly challenging (probably a little of each) but I feel like if I have them redo a quiz or something like that, during class time, I'm losing in some way, or giving in. It's apparently a feeling that I need to get over, because it isn't helping my students.

I am also keenly aware of how important time is. More then ever I am happy that as I begin teaching we are beginning to implement the new State Focal points, rather then the multitude of standards. These focal points, if you aren't familiar with them, are a new format of standards, where each year there are three topics that students are expected to master. There are several subtopics, and mini-units within this, but the focus is on mastering several skills, rather then being introduced to many skills. For instance, for 8th grade math the three focal points are:
8 .1 Algebra: Analyze and represent linear functions, and solve linear equations and systems of linear equations .
8 .2 Data Analysis and Algebra: Analyze and summarize data sets .
8 .3 Geometry and Measurement: Analyze two- and three-dimensional
spaces and figures by using distance and angle.

There are 6-8 sub points beneath each, but this is everything that 8th grade math should cover, right there.

The high school focal points have not yet been instated, but I am confidant that focusing on fewer topics, with the goal of mastery, will better serve students, and allow for teachers to feel less rushed.

The other thing that I have been working on is my data analysis from my unit. I am disappointed in a few things. First of all, my average on my post assessment was below passing, not by much, but still below, second, several of the topics that I figured were easy, and spent little time one, the students didn't internalize. Specifically, the fact that the measure of the internal angles of a quadrilateral is 360 degrees. This is my fault, because the fact seemed so obvious to me that besides mentioning it a few times near the beginning of the unit, I hardly focused on it. Likewise, I focused a lot on characteristics, and it showed in the test scores, being one of three objectives that scored a passing average, but students were bored to death. In this new unit that Aaron is teaching (and I am teaching as well, since she has been absent, and I have taught her sub plans), we are focusing less on characteristics specifically, and more on the math symbols used to describe those characteristics, and focusing a lot more on interior angles and solving for them, which helps to integrate problem solving into the unit earlier. I didn't get to actual problem solving until only a few days before the end of the unit.

I guess you could say that the experiences of reteaching/observing the same material, with the same type of students, in the same space immediately after I've taught it is a particularly enlightening learning experience that most people don't get to experience, and I am glad for the opportunity.