NCTM New and Noteworthy

Take a look at an array of activities for all grade levels that offers some delicious ideas that will be sure to sweeten your Halloween lessons and delight your students.

Students are living and learning in an age of new media. Using games to teach math concepts supports students’ needs for engaging and interactive instruction. This month’s tips focus on the benefits of using math games as part of instruction and ways to evaluate a game’s usefulness. Links to free games are included.

Consider the needs of your students.
Tips include: 

• Assign only what’s necessary
• Consider the students’ age
• Give constructive feedback
• Add a weekly prize drawing

OK, so you’ve finished your methods courses—now what do you need to review before you get in the classroom? Consider the following tips:

• Initiate a conversation with your cooperating teacher
• Prepare a letter to introduce yourself to parents
• Share your interests and talents
• Sustain relationships
• Smile!

Don’t wait to prepare your students for high-stakes testing. Incorporate problems from past state tests into the first five minutes of every day as warm-up exercises for the brain.

These tips include–

• focusing on solutions instead of answers;
• learning what is covered ahead of time;
• involving students in creating reviews;
• using similar grading in your assessments; and
• becoming involved in writing the tests.