#Made4Math :: Trolley Cart

Over break, I bought something that changed my life.

The 10-drawered, 5-colored cart you see up there?  How perfect is that for a teacher who teaches five classes a day?  Why did it take me this long discover this little jewel?

This is how I'm using it:  each of my five classes corresponds to a color, and each class has both an "In" drawer and an "Out" drawer.  Students deposit their work in their correct in-box, and if I have a handout or worksheet for absent students, I simply write their name on the paper and stick it in the out-box.  No more, "What did I miss yesterday?"!

I've only been using the cart for a week, but I'm already in love with it.  The kids seem to really like it, too, actually.  Several of my Pre-Calc kids kept marveling, "How did you find something so...perfect?" (I love my nerds.)  In addition to the ten drawers, there's also a flat surface on the top, which I've used a lot, too.

I'm certain I'm not the first to have discovered this gem-cart, but I still thought I'd pass along the wonderful news.  Here's a picture of my cart with its labels.  My cart was fairly cheap ($30 at Walmart), but I think it will hold up just fine.

If you go get one, you can even use my labels that took me a whole sixty seconds to make:

Labels for Colored Cart by

Math History: We're all learning here

Like every other math teacher I know, I love me some math history.  Mathematicians are just some of the craziest people to read about and study, I'm sure of it.  I'm also sure that putting historical context into what you're studying helps you remember it more.

In Pre-Calc this year we've had a new mathematician for each unit we've covered.  The mathematician correlates to what we're studying (sometimes I do a better of job of picking the mathematician than other times).  If students write a paragraph about said mathematician and then write a fact on the white board, they get bonus points for that unit's test.  The catch is that they have to write something new on the board.  So, the longer they wait to do the assignment, the harder it gets, because the dude's birth and death dates go pretty quick.

One unexpected outcome of this has actually been my Algebra II classes' response to this board.  They'll see something they think is interesting and it starts a conservation about our spotlight mathematician.  [Read: kids are excited about math!]  I've also heard them say things like, "Mrs. Peterson!  Wasn't that a super smart answer?! Maybe my picture and name should be on that white board!"  To which I usually reply something snarky.  But, the point is that they're finding mathematicians cool, and that makes my heart happy.

Here are the mathematicians we've done so far, in chronological order.  I think the kids are getting the hang of it.

Archimedes

Pythagoras

de Moivre

I still have a long ways to go in incorporating math history; there's much more that can be done here.  But, I'm learning.  And so are the kids.

#made4math 8.13.2012

My school recently opened a beautiful new "Collegiate Academy," which I have the privilege to be a part of.  With this privilege means that we are supposed to keep our gorgeous new classrooms feeling like a college.  No clutter; no posters on the walls; actually, nothing on the walls except our degrees.  While I know most teachers would be dismayed by these rules, I am breathing a sigh of relief.  Since my only teaching experience is at the college level, I was FREAKING OUT about having my own classroom.  But, when I found out that I was set free from the cheesy educational posters, I was able to (fairly) easily put together a classroom--with the help my wonderful husband--that hopefully still feels like a college classroom-ish.

So,  my first Made4Math Monday!

Probably my favorite part of the classroom is a little homage I paid to some nifty mathematicians.  I used some of my old textbooks as stands and bought three frames at the dollar store.

Beneath each picture is a quote from the mathematician:
Math Quotes for Frames

Also along that counter, I have a place for students to turn in make-up work and borrow annoyingly bright pencils (in hopes that they will be returned):

I got the template for the cube made out of playing cards here.

So, that's the back of the classroom.  In the front of the classroom, I have a SMART Board with two white boards on either side of it.  I have somewhat ambitious plans to introduce my students to the history of mathematics, so this is what one of my white boards looks like:

About every month, my plan is to introduce a new mathematician.  Any student who brings a paragraph on that mathematician will earn some homework bonus points.  In addition, any student who is willing to share one fact s/he found and write it on the board will receive a point for her/his class.  The class with the most points at the end of the quarter will receive some kind of prize.  My principal said she may even be able to get me some gift cards!

Here's what the bonus homework cards will look like.  It's a little cheesy (ah!), but it was one of the few templates I liked that VistaPrint.com would give 250 to you for free.  Say it with me, fah-ree!

Will I ever get used to "Mrs. Peterson"?  I just don't know.

To the left of that white board, I have an easel with five white poster boards (one for each class).  Before each test, I'm hoping to have each class summarize the big idea(s) of the unit, in their own words, symbols, or pictures.  At the end of the year, we may have some cool looking posters!  Maybe.

And, lastly, a good friend of mine--who has much better handwriting than I do--wrote up these classroom expectations for my bulletin board:

So, that's my classroom!  It's simple, but it's me.