Table of Contents

Thanks to my IRL inspiring teacher, Fiona Brendemuhl, I've created my own list of "Grand Ideas for the School Year".  Gathered from Fiona and my blog readings of this summer, I thought it would be beneficial to get them listed on my blog - it somehow feels like I'm held accountable for implementing them!

• Teach Integrity - a big task, but I'd like to make it an overarching theme.  I hope to make them want to have integrity but to be able to take ownership when they stumble.  Lofty.  One of my parenting goals too.  Heck, they're all my kids anyway.
• Integrate previewing upcoming lessons.  Like I've said, it will make instruction so much clearer for everyone.
• Homework handling - turning in end-of-week packets, self-scored for completion, teacher checks a selection for correctness/method.
• Modify interesting book problems to be less formula driven (example) and put together a sheet of 4-8 unconventional but doable problems to let students loose with... i.e. not give hints, direction, etc.  Make them do their own thinking
• Use graphing videos in Precalculus (weekly?) Sweeney and Meyer
• Keeping up with my reflection blog
• Communicating learning objectives clearly
• Greeting students at the door, asking about their lives - will begin to actually care.  :)  Meyer and others
• Use the Rule of 4 - representing topics verbally, algebraically, numerically, and graphically
• Use "clock partners" - each student has a clock with 12 possible partners - I tell them what hour for quick pairing
• Keep reading blogs for inspiration and motivation
• Have a chapter outline ready at the beginning of each chapter for each class
• Including questions from previous tests on new tests

So much to remember - it'll have to be phased in.  We'd all be overwhelmed if I did all of this right away!