How is Math delivered in the classroom?

What were the learning

outcomes taught? Were all levels (E, D, and M) taught? How (or why
not if they weren’t)?

On my first week in Summit international school they assigned me with an

English, math teacher. My MST name is Roisin she teaches grade 3. The first math
lesson I observed was for dividing by 10. The students need the answer question of
numbers divided by 10. The teacher wrote the question on the board and the
students had to copy the questions and answer them. She had some easier questions
for the low-level group. She added some difficult questions for the high-level
students and the fast students to do. I found the students to be very smart. Even
with adding the hard questions for the high-level group they finished it in a short
period. Having different type of questions made it easier for the low-level group to
understand the lesson. Sometimes the teacher use the Khanacademy to make the
students practice division. The students have to sign in to their account and answer
their assignment which includes division and multiplication.

How was your Math Talk during the lessons that you were teaching
Math or working with small groups?

Math is my favorite subject. For this semester, my MST teaches Math and English
for grade three learners. At the beginning, I didn’t know the students level and if
they know multiplication and division yet. But I was so surprised of the student’s
level. Most students in the class were very smart and cleaver and they answered the
question very fast.
On my first few days I thought that the math problems that the teacher gives them
is very hard for their level. But they will always answer the problems in a short
period of time and ask for more question!
Sometimes the teacher will write some hard math equation that includes 3
operations. She will write the questions in a small board in the back of the class if
they finished their work quickly they can answer the equation.
In this class, there is a weak group that needs scaffolding in some areas, but as a
class there are the smartest class that I have ever taught.

What did you do to create and maintain a positive environment in

the classroom?

For my third observation, I wanted to create my own rules and my own reward
rules in the classroom to manage the classroom. Using the reward rules was an
excellent way to manage the student’s behavior. I gave students who are paying
attention and working in the class a star. Three students with the most stars will get
a gift on the end of my Teaching practice. I only used positive reinforcement with
the students for managing the classroom. I think it’s an effective way to manage
the classroom. I will use this to manage my classroom for the next few weeks.
Also, I gave sweets for the group who is paying attention and listening to my
instructions. Students who were not listening don’t get any stars and students who
didn’t do what the teacher asked didn’t get any stars.

How was your timing for your transitions? Did it go smoothly? Did
you get caught up in what you were doing and forget the time?
Were the students noisy/calm?
I tried to have 3 part in my lesson when I teach I start with a small beginning that
will not take more than 10 minutes then we will move to the main activity that will
take 30 minutes and the ending of the lesson will be a self-reflection or peer
reflection. Manage my time is a hard thing for me to do. In one of my lesson the
opening was so long and it took like 30 minutes. I need to keep my eyes on the
clock and try to have a smaller opening. I use 123 all eyes on me as a transition
from one activity to another. It worked very well with the students. On my last
semester to gain the students attention I used to use clapping technique but I find
123 all eyes on me much easier and work better. I had a noisy class but using
behavior chart worked very well to manage the classroom behavior.

How did you introduce the math center this week? 1 day/over a few
days/during other lessons/whole class/guided groups?

I only once taught a math lesson and it wasn’t a very good lesson for me. The
students already know the lesson the subject. I wanted to teach them division and
my MST told me you can do dividing by 10,2,5. I was surprised that the students
already know how to divide with all the numbers. I thought that I was going to
introduce a new topic for them. Today, the teacher introduced a new topic which
was fraction. Students where active and all the students understood the lesson. Two
of the students in the low-level group were bit confused, so I tried to scaffold them
and it worked. I told them to draw a circle and divide the circle into equal two
groups. Then they understood the idea.
How did you monitor the learning when the children were working
on their activities? Did you use rubrics? How did it go?

As a teacher, you should monitor the students while they are working. Monitoring
the student’s activity and behavior while working is in my opinion the teacher’s
most important role. The teacher role is to display the activity also she need to
explain it and then walk around the class to see if the students understood it and
working on it. When I did an English lesson, the students had to write a story and
on the board, I had a rubric of the things that they must include in their story. In the
end of the lesson I asked students to come to the board and read up their stories and
I asked if they included the thing that I wrote in the rubric. Most students did
include the things because I walked around the class and reminded them. It’s very
important for the teacher to walk around the class and observe and give comment
on their work.

Did you observe any math strategies this week? Or did you teach
any math strategies? Or did the teacher teach/use any math
strategies when teaching?

My last observation was with my MCT. I did a math lesson on fraction on the
number line. As an opening I wanted most students in the classroom to participate
in the opening. I used the number line technique to teach them fraction a number
line. I drawed a line and printed out fraction and the students had to tape the
correct fraction on the number line. The students were able to do the activity but
 2 1
they were a little confused to know that equals .I had to explain for them that
10 5
1
they are the same fraction but the is simpler fraction. Many students didn’t get
5
1 1
that mean the halve of the number line. So, I explained that means the halves of
2 2
5
the number line and it also mean . Students understood the concept while
10

practicing the activity.