Week 5

Welcome back to the Algeblog! Another week of thought-provoking conversation and engaging learning. 

What stood out and what I learned

In this class, we focused on grade 10 math courses and trigonometry. We started with a math question that we worked on in groups, and everyone struggled with it since we haven’t done grade 9 math in so long. This made me realize how difficult it is to do a problem when it isn’t accompanied by a lesson and how challenging it can be to recall prior knowledge when it hasn't been practiced in a while. As a future teacher, I think this reinforces the importance of becoming familiar with curriculum expectations when planning lessons and activities. Students need to be guided with the right tools and scaffolding so they can make meaningful connections, rather than guessing what is relevant. 

In my personal experience tutoring high school students, I sometimes overcomplicate the math work. I’ve been studying and practicing advanced university math for 4 years, and sometimes forget the specific formulas and strategies that high school students are expected to know. I am reminded of the importance of referencing the curriculum and becoming familiar with the content when planning lessons. 

This is furthered in our Leading a Lesson Activity assignments, where we have to draw back on our previous knowledge to complete the activities without the accompanying lesson. These activities mirror how students may feel when their background knowledge doesn’t align with a task. As a future educator, this encourages me to consider previous curriculum expectations and build an understanding of where students are coming from so I can meet them at their level of knowledge. 

Teaching grade 10

We discussed what we think is important when teaching grade 10 students and what challenges they face. My group’s main concern was guiding students through the process of changing to a streamed course since grade 9 is now de-streamed. One of my professors said that grade 10 students who go into applied courses are more prepared since the de-streaming of grade 9, but those who go into academic courses are finding the transition more challenging. I wonder why this is, and how we as future teachers can best support and prepare our students for various pathways. This curiosity reminds me that as teachers, we should continue questioning how structural changes, like de-streaming, affect students differently. 

Another main concern that was brought up was the behaviour of grade 10 students. Our professor pointed out that grade 10 is “the middle child” of high school, meaning they can be more challenging to engage with in class. They are no longer new to high school, but are not at the point of seriously considering future plans, the way grades 11 and 12 students are. It is critical that lessons are made to be interesting and engaging in this age group because grade 10 mathematics is the foundation for many further math courses.

As we are moving steadily through the first semester of teaching education, I am feeling nervous about getting into a classroom. We are constantly talking about what we need to do, what we need to consider, and strategies to use to encourage engagement, but I am curious to apply them in real experiences and see how things play out.

Assessment and Evaluation

Another topic covered in this week's class was how to identify when a student is successful by using various assessment methods. I think it is important to consider how students will be assessed before planning the lesson so that it is built around what we want the students to be able to achieve. I also think the triangulation of data (Growing Success, 2010 pp. 34-39) is an important strategy for teachers to be able to make professional judgments about their students. The triangulation of data includes observations, conversations, and student products that are collected over time to provide evidence of their learning. Using multiple sources makes assessment more reliable and encourages differentiated instruction in the classroom. This connects to what I learned in EDBE 8P72, our special education class where I did a facilitation on the chapter about assessments from the textbook (Bennette, S. et al., 2019). I highlighted how formal assessments have historically been relied on too heavily and do not provide an accurate representation of student achievement, especially for students with exceptionalities. Incorporating the triangulation of data into my future classroom will allow me to develop more accurate and fair judgements about student achievement and ensure that assessment practices are equitable, inclusive, and reflective of student’s individual strengths.

In conclusion, this weeks class has reminded me that effective teaching involves much more than delivering content, but it is about understanding how students learn and using assessment strategies that reflect their full potential. As I continue on my teacher education journey, I will continue to develop teaching and assessment strategies that are equitable and effective by incorporating individual students’ needs and using the triangulation of data to gather information about students learning. Although I am feeling nervous to step into a classroom, I am also excited to put these ideas to practice and continue growing as an educator. 

See you next time!

References

Bennette, S. et al. (2019). Special Education in Ontario Schools (8th ed.) Chapter 6. Highland Press. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780986587351

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Growing Success. In Government of Ontario. https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf