Week+1


 * Monday’s Class:**

This class was a quite general one, but I enjoyed it a lot because it was light and fun. I hope that this is the tone carried throughout the entire semester. I am looking forward to this class because math was my favourite subject for my entire life, even though it was not my major in high school. I want to share with other people how fun and great math can be, even if it is challenging. As a result, this class and wiki will hopefully give me the information I need to do that successfully. The first class brought together an overview of elements that lead to a successful lesson, and encompassed a mix of things I had thought about with ones I hadn’t. Some of the concepts like getting attention of a class we’ve discussed multiple times, and bell work is a concept I think is a great idea to set the tone of any classroom. But what I really took away from the class was the importance of an outline and its components, as well as how much time and thought must go into transitions. An outline gives students something to judge the pace and timing of a class. It would also help them feel the flow and be more prepared for a transition in activity or topic. I really enjoyed when teachers did that, and it helps with those students to give a sense of structure, indicating the teacher is prepared and has an end goal in mind. Putting a fun activity near the end of the lesson might also encourage students to behave well during the lesson so that there is enough time for that fun activity before the period or lesson is over. I link transitions to something discussed in Classroom Management class as well. Preventative measures can certainly make a class much easier to manage, and planning for transitions will largely limit the chaos ensuing from 30 students having unclear or non-specific instructions. I feel this will greatly limit my stress level when actually teaching if these are considered ahead of time.


 * Wednesday's Class:**

In only two weeks of classes we have learned such a variety of theories to apply to a class, combined with a wide variety of needs of the students in a classroom.As such, while I think that Alfie Kohn shares some incredibly true concepts, there will always be students who need that confidence boost of praise or motivation to keep working through a concept they're struggling with. I think that rewards and punishment must be utilized in a fair and practical way, especially since the rest of society operates through this type of methodology. Punishment for actions done in my classroom would be as a result of rules stated at the beginning of the semester or year. I do hope to include the class in the creation of rules and expectations. I think that this will give students the impression that I am willing to negotiate and hear their input, but also to show that those rules are final and I have final authority. In a situation where we are always minding the line between two extremes, I think this will be an aid to doing so in this situation. Competition was an aspect discussed in class, and I think that while it may have it's drawbacks, it also has its strengths. I myself am a very competitive person, and as such, it helps me drive to do better. While I do not want students working against each other to take away from a community feel as a group, using competition in fun (and limited) situations will help students stretch to their potential. Math is very relevant in people's lives. I think in a class where many struggle it seems pointless to continue on, and trying to find a way to relate what they're studying to their lives will help stir interest within themselves. I was given some advice about teaching math on how to make it more interesting. They told me to tell it like a story, for example where it came from, why it was needed, and how it came about. It is my hope that some students can perhaps relate to that time period and it might pique their interest in the subject matter. Everyone is different, but I hope to reach all the students in some way by having a multitude of ways to make it relevant either in today's world, or in the world from which the math came.