Math Teacher, Essay Example

At the beginning of the school year I received student achievement records. During the first, week faculty and administration met to detail our plans for the coming months. The plans are required to contain goals for the three month mark, the six month mark, and year-end goals. As a math teacher, I must understand how well my students can apply what we learn directly to assignments, quizzes and homework. What follows are some relevant questions and my answers to them.

What will you prepare for the meeting?

Goal Setting

• Sort students in order of high to low in terms of achievement.
• Quiz students to know what they remember from last year.
• Formulate methods for bringing the lowest performing students up to speed.
• Formulate methods to keep the best performing students engaged in learning.
• Interpolate methods to keep learning from becoming too boring for everyone.

Report

To the principal, I would report my goal setting method as well as specific strategies. Having evaluated how well my students understand concepts from last year and judging from their previous performance, I formulate a system by which better students are challenged but those less so are not frightened off by failure. Futheremore, I plan to include ways of teaching math that will keep everyone engaged in learning. The most difficult challenge a math teacher must contend with is students becoming bored with the material.

What kinds of goals might you prepare for each timeframe regardless of the student data?

Here I specify goals according to timeframes. In the first 3 moths, I expect to bring all students up to speed from last year. By the 6^th month, I expect to have a significant portion of new material covered. By the end of the year, I expect all students to pass with a sufficient understanding of the new material. By this time, last year’s material will be less important because students must sufficiently understand the concepts in order to perform at the next level.

How will you measure your goals? I will measure my goals by quizzing students on a regular basis – say, once a week, on Friday. By 3 months, I expect 90% of the students to sufficiently understand the material from last year. By 6, I expect all of the students to sufficiently understand the material from last year and 80% the students to sufficiently understand at least 60% of the new material from this year. By year’s end, I expect all students to understand at least 60% of the new material.

Imagine a scenario where at the end of the three-month period, you have met less than 50% of the goals you have set for your students. What would your two immediate next steps be? Why? My plan includes a contignecny for this secenario. If it is shown that less than 50% of the goals I have set have not been accomplished. I will set aside time to work specifically with students who are missing the mark. My reasoning is that on average a majority of students will sufficiently achive the goals I have set. If we fall below the 50% mark, it will most likely be because there are a few students who are not effectively learning the concepts. Thus, to bring them up to speed will mean reaching our year-end goal. As a math teacher, I must understand how well my students can apply what we learn directly from assignments, quizzes and homework. At the beginning of the school year I received student achievement records. During the first, week faculty and administration met to detail our plans for the coming months. Here, I have iterated my plan as mandated by the administration