Anchor Chart for Surface Area and Volume of Prisms

Today, I decided to create the following anchor charts for my geometry resource classes. The purpose of creating these charts was to give students an additional tool to support instruction and to move the students towards achieving success with finding the surface area and volume of prisms. I'm going to ask the librarians at my school to print these out as half size posters and laminate them for me to hang them up around my classroom for students to reference. It's faster for me to create this anchor chart digitally than to handwrite it.

This is my first year teaching a geometry resource class and I did not realize how much assistance and supplemental aids some of these students need. My resource classes are very small and one class has 8 students and the other class has 5 students. Last month, I learned that my school district is getting rid of these geometry resource classes so this has me scrambling to come up with ways for these students to be successful in my on-level classes for next year. I think I am going to create these charts for every topic in geometry and have them spiral bound for students to reference.

Any feedback or suggestions are welcome since this is my very first "digital" anchor chart. 

Here is the file if you would like to use:

• Surface Area and Volume of Prisms Digital Anchor Chart

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Differentiation with Warm-Ups

I'm trying something new with several of my classes this unit and I'm really liking it so far! During the past 2 years, I don't really give my students "warm-up" questions when they walk in. Normally, students walk in, cut out their foldables, and set up their interactive notebook. 

This year, I have issues of several students not turning in assignments and I really need to receive feedback (other than quizzes and tests) to assess their understanding. However, student's level of understanding vary GREATLY in my classes this year. I have pre-AP drop outs or students who should be in pre-AP but do not want the extra work. I have regular on-level students who rarely need assistance. I have special education and ELL students who need A LOT of assistance. If I give all students the same worksheet, I would have students done with 10 minutes left and some that will need to bring it home for an extra 30 minutes. 

I created these differentiated warm-ups so all students will finish around the same time. The one with the most arrows are for my higher level students and the one with the least amount of arrows are for my special education/ELL students who are not really understanding the concept. I put the arrows so students couldn't really see that they were receiving A, B, and C forms. 

So far, I really like how the warm-ups are going since all students are taking the same amount of time.... but, it's taking A LOT of time for me to create them! How do you "differentiate" in your classroom? 

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2016-2017 Geometry Basics Unit

File for the Post: 2016-2017 Geometry Basics Unit

I think that my school is the only one that splits up "Geometry Basics" into two units. I think next year we are going to try to combine segments and angles into one unit (like most of ya'll out there). I am just nervous to see how students do since they struggle with segments and vocabulary.

Day 1: We went over the following Points, Lines, and Planes foldable and students were able to choose whether they wanted to do the cut and paste activity in their INB or in Google Slides. I have done this foldable with the cut and paste activity for three years now and I LOVE it.You can find the original post to the foldables when you click here. You can also find the Google Slides activity when you click here. 

In my basic classes, we did the cut and paste activity on Google Slides and then I gave them a worksheet where they put the stickers based on the correct naming and terms of the given problems. I LOVED this for my geometry resource classes.

Day 2: First, students walked in and logged on to Google Classroom to complete a quick warm-up on Google Forms to review the naming and definitions of Points, Lines, and Planes. We went over two foldables: Collinear and Coplanar foldable and the Intersection of Lines and Planes foldable.You can find the original post with the foldables when you click here. 

After we completed the foldables, students logged on to Google Classroom to work on the following Collinear and Coplanar activity. Students really enjoyed this activity and I was surprised to find out that almost half of my students did not know how to insert text! After the activity, we had time left so we experimented with Google Draw. I had students create their own vocabulary terms and label them. I forgot to take pictures but I highly recommend trying Google Draw in a lesson that requires visuals. You can find the Google activity when you click here. 

Day 3: Students did one of my favorite activities EVER... Points, Lines, and Planes Gallery Walk. Students have to work in groups to come up with a new answer and they rotate through the problems. I posted this activity in this post.You can find the directions and files to this activity when you click here. 

Day 4:We went over the segments foldable together as a class and then I projected a powerpoint where students had to figure out which box the problem would go under (left side). After the foldable, students completed a cut and paste activity in their notebook where they had to match up the correct diagram, equation, and variable. I had one reader comment on a post where she only gave students the left side. I think that is a great idea and I will try it next year. You can find the original post with the files when you click here. 

Day 5: Students logged on to Google Classroom and completed a digital task cards activity over segments on Google Slides. I had students answer the task cards on Google Forms. I added Flubaroo to my Google Forms spreadsheet for easy grading. :) Students really enjoyed completing the digital task cards and I will definitely be using these again. I know there was a typo on one card, but I can't remember which one. If you find it, please let me know and I will fix it. 

Day 6: We completed a stations review activity. I made this into a Google Slides activity (trying to use the Chromebooks as much as we can before I have to give them back).

How do your students do on Geometry Basics?  My students performed better this year than previous years. I know that we will probably be combining segments and angles into one big "geometry basics" unit. Just worried about my ELL kids and special education students. 

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Class Sizes

I teach at a big school that has over 3,500 students and over 200 teachers. I absolutely love the school that I work with but with that big of a population, big class sizes become very common. Last year, I had over 30 students in every class. At the beginning of the year, my class sizes started off at 25-27 but gradually increased throughout the school year. By the end of the school year, the pre-AP classes have class sizes ranging from 15-20 students while the on-level classes have about 30 students.

My classroom management is actually better with larger class sizes. Crazy, huh? Maybe, it's because my demeanor changes and I know that I could lose control of a big class if I don't enforce our classroom rules consistently and fairly.

These are my student statistics: 35% of my students are in special education, 10% are English Language Learners, 30% are regular on-level students, and 25% dropped from pre-AP. So, I have students that need a lot of assistance and some that can teach themselves the material without any help. I have students that finish assignments twenty minutes early and some that finish two days later.

I've already looked at my class sizes this year and some classes are over 25 already.... So maybe some class sizes will reach 35 students this year???

I'm looking for more instructional strategies that will allow students to help each other more while I can focus on the students who need my assistance the most. I love the "green pen" idea so I stocked up on 25 green pens. :)

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#MTBoS30: Best News Ever!

Sooo...... I learned that I am going to be teaching a section of basic special education geometry classes today! I have wanted to teach this class since before school started and I am so excited about this new journey in my teaching career!

Any  awesome math special education blogs that I should know about? :)

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