oh me oh my oh SBG

I cannot even believe it is August 29.  I have been back at school for 6 (school) days and I feel like I am still under water.

It was non-stop Professional development and meetings until yesterday afternoon when we finally got some free classroom time. 

On top of moving in to my new classroom, I was moving into a new home.  (poor timing to be sure!) so the blog has fallen to the BACK BACK burner.

The year has gotten to a busy but wonderful start.  I have a brand new CLT (my fellow math 7 teachers) and a new IT (interdisciplinary team).  I was a bit nervous about moving down from 8th grade but has had a great experience thus far!

This year I am implementing SBG in both my Math 7 (pre algebra) and my Algebra 1 class.  To help with this I have created I can statements for each unit that the students can reference.  My idea is for this to be the first page of each unit.  They will glue it on the right side and on the left side they will list what they know (in green), what they know they have heard but don't know remember (in yellow) and what they have NO IDEA about (in red).

Here are the math 7 files for quarter 1



here are the algebra 1 files for quarter 1 



Here is the stoplight I am handing out for the first unit.  I will make it available for students who want to use it for other units, but will encourage them to just write in the specific color.



Just one more day before I meet my students!

starting out

Writing my first blog post is a bit like starting my first day as a teacher two years ago.  I know what I want the rest of this blog to look like but I'm not quite sure how to start out.  Luckily, unlike my middle school students, most of you will not just stare back at me with blank faces until seizing the perfect moment to act up.  

I guess I'll introduce myself and why I have decided to blog.

I am starting my third school year as middle school math teacher.  We don't go back until the 21st of August so I do not know my classes yet.  I will be in the 7th grade hall most likely teaching 7th grade algebra and possible a Math 7 or two.

This will be my second year teaching algebra and if I have a Math 7 class or two my first year doing that.

My goal for this blog is to interact with the much larger professional community out there by sharing my lessons and ideas and using those lessons and ideas posted by others!

I am most eager to post to made4math monday

  
and give back for all the AWESOME things I have borrowed over the past year

and join a few of the twitter chats!  you can follow me at @annemarie_hugh  

Last year was my first venture into using a ISN or interactive student notebook.  Most members of my PLC were not into the idea and by December I had relinquished to just gluing workbook pages into our 5-star notebook.  I rebounded around April but overall am not happy with how it turned out.

This year I am following many of the recommendations I have seen in the blogasphere and using a composition notebook that will ONLY hold their notes and synthesis.

AND being the type A obsessive person I am, I went head and made a mock ISN over the summer to keep me on track!  (pictures to follow!)

I am very excited for this new adventure!