Digital and Paper File Organization

Typically if you were looking for organizational advice I'd advise you to look elsewhere.  Here is a view of my desk:

As you can see I am no model of organization when it comes to daily operations (although I can locate what I need in those piles :).  What I have developed an effective system for is paper files.  

Many teachers in this digital age are strong proponents for a completely digital file system. While I keep my files organized electronically also I refuse to give up my paper files.  The reason I love my paper files is the ease of picking resources for each unit.  It is significantly easier for me to pull out a file folder and glance at 10 worksheets than it is for me to open and view 10 word documents on the computer.  If the worksheet from a previous year is perfect for this year I don't even have to print a copy, I can simply use the "original" and ask my TA to make copies.  If I want to make changes I then go to the digital version and edit.  After making my class copies I keep the original in the file folder.  

When I started teaching my files were labeled with topics (polynomials, exponents, logarithms, etc.)  For my purposes, that year, this was an extremely effective method.  Our curriculum was topic based and not limited by chapters in the textbook.  Upon moving to a school where the curriculum was chapter based I re-organized my files using titles such as Geom. Ch. 1, Alg 2 Ch. 7, etc.  

Having now gone through textbook adoption and the realization that Chapters are effective only until the book changes I've determined the best way to organize folder is by BOTH Chapter and Topic.  Now my folders have labels like: Math Analysis - Ch. 14 - Matrices.  

As I mentioned one benefit to listing the topic is that its use extends beyond your current textbook.  The secondary benefit is cross curricular topics.  For example when I am teaching exponents in  Algebra 2 I can easily look at the Algebra 1 exponent folder to see if there are any relevant worksheets that I want to use.  If I indeed then use it in both classes I typically just add it to both folders. Yes, I realize this is redundant but it better completes my file for each course with materials that I found useful. I would rather have a folder with too many resources than a topic to teach without resources. 

By also putting the chapter number I keep the traditional benefit of showing the linear pattern of material. (I keep them in order.)  This also shows you where in the text that topic is located.

My digital files are organized the same way.  Each course has a folder. Within the folder is a folder for each Chapter with the Chapter Number and Topic.  

My next recommendation is not something that I've been very good about but if you are a new teacher you would benefit from following these suggestions from the beginning of your career.

• Create a naming convention- Good things to include are the year, type of resource, perhaps course chapter or topic (if you don't already have it in a folder system), and a file name

Examples: 
Solving Logarithmic Equations Worksheet 2013
QUIZ.SolvingLogEquations.2013
2013 Test Solving Log Equations
7.4 Solving Log Equations WKSHT  2013

Keep in mind word will automatically organize your documents alphabetically so there are pros and cons to each naming order.  The second example would provide a system where all documents of the same type are together. So you could quickly look at all previously made quizzes, worksheets, etc.  The last example would organize your documents by section which could be useful for daily lesson planning.  Ultimately the choice is yours but by developing a system early on you will save valuable time that can be lost in the digital search for a file.

• Create file names that are very specific

Titling 10 different documents "Logarithms" will cause big headaches when you go to look at your files next year.  Yes all of them cover some portion of logarithms but get specific about the skills and topics covered on that worksheet. 

Examples:
Review of 7.3 to 7.5
Solving Exponential Equations - Same Bases
Solving Exponential Equations - Using Logs

• Add a header or footer to take credit for original creations 

This is something I saw a colleague do and thought it was a great idea.  As I mentioned in a previous post I have a very collaborative approach to finding worksheets so many documents that I have saved are not documents that I've created from scratch.  To be honest at this point there are times when I really don't remember if I made a document/ activity or "borrowed" it from someone else.  If I label the things I create then at least I'll know which intellectual property is "mine." (This may never actually matter but if you've created something really awesome I'd hate to see someone else profit from your work.)  The colleague that did this simply used the footer section of the document to put her initials and year the document was created.  

To wrap up this section about digital organization I would be silly not to address backing up your files.  Imagine tomorrow your district's server crashed and your "my documents" folder was gone, how devastated would you be?  Therein lies the need for a backup.  A minimum of twice a year I save all my documents to a thumb drive and because I'm not super organized (did you see my desk?) that thumb drive is not my backup (because I'll misplace it). Instead I bring the thumb drive home and load all the files on my home computer.  If you have an external hard drive at home that's even better.  Some of the cloud storage concepts are also a good modern option.  Basically whatever you do, don't be mad if you lose everything but never took steps to ensure that wasn't an option. 

Alright hopefully there was something in here that you can take away as a new organizational tip.  Comment if you have other ideas to share with fellow readers.

Articles you need to read

Sometimes I read an educational article and think, "well that was useless..."  

But every once in a while I come across a gem, a  gem of an article so powerful that all I can think is "EVERY (MATH) TEACHER SHOULD READ THIS!"  

So here are links to those articles:

by NCTM President J. Michael Shaughnessy

It’s Time to Stamp Out the Phrase “I’m Bad at Math” - See more at: http://www.nctm.org/about/content.aspx?id=26737#sthash.mUKQwFPq.dpuf

It’s Time to Stamp Out the Phrase “I’m Bad at Math” - See more at: http://www.nctm.org/about/content.aspx?id=26737#sthash.mUKQwFPq.dpuf

It's Time to Stamp Out the Phrase "I'm bad at math" by NCTM President J. Michael Shaughnessy NCTM Summing Up, October 2010 

Endless Algebra- the Deadly Pathway from High School Mathematics to College Mathematics  by NCTM President J. Michael Shaughnessy NCTM Summing Up, February 2011

Phoenix Rising - Bringing the Common Core State Mathematics Standards to Life by Hung-Hsi Lu American Educator, Fall 2011

*Additional links will be added as I come across worthy articles.

QR Codes

So a while back I saw a post about using QR codes in the classroom and thought it would be cool for math class.  But after playing around for a bit I was stumped because I would need math type, so I gave up.  The other day during my prep I decided to google for math type in QR codes.
I found my answer here: mathtutorjourney blogspot.

Here is part of the regular worksheet. And the QR Code answer key below.  You can visit my teacherspayteachers account and purchase the full version for $2 here: Simplifying Radicals QR Code Key.

Now it turned out its still a bit of work but here is the basic process:
1. Use math type in word.

2. Use a picture editing software to save the math type as an image.
(I used picpick.org which is free software and worked well.)

3. Use a picture upload site to create a web link for the image. 
(I used postimage.org and read carefully to make sure the images will be there forever, if I'm going to work this hard to create something it's going to be usable for years. The one negative was that when students pulled it up on their phone there were some ads displayed below the image.)

4. Use a QR generator to link to the web URL for the image.
(I used qrstuff.com which has tons of options for QR code creation.)


5. Save or copy the QR code to wherever you want to use it.



So, for my first attempt I had a worksheet with 12 problems for my math analysis students (will use in Algebra 2 later) to practice simplifying radicals.  So I created a QR code version of the answer key.  Our school doesn't have a BYOD policy but our current policy states that with teacher permission students may use their phones for educational purposes.  With this in mind I knew that not all students would have the ability to check their answers so I only made 6 copies of the key (one per table group.)  As they worked I indicated that they could check along the way or check them all at the end. 

The response in first period was less than stellar, one student asked why I didn't just put the answers up on the board.  I said something about using technology and he said we should only use it if it makes the process easier.  I understand where he was coming from but had hoped the novel process would have gotten a more positive response.  Second period loved it.  They thought it was really cool and the lesson went the way I had envisioned it.  One person would pull it up and then as a group they checked their answers.

I can definitely see myself using QR codes again, probably not just for answers but also incorporating them into the trail runs, stations or other activities. 


Have you used QR codes in your classroom?  How?

The Story of Efficiency

We don't start as efficient teachers.  When you are first trying something new you will make mistakes.  That is the story of your first year (or five).  Efficiency comes with time and practice...but you have to want it.

If you want to sit at school until 5pm every night I guarantee you will find enough work to do so.  If you get caught up on grading there will always be more lessons to plan and when the lessons are planned there will be activities to create or copies to make and if by some miracle you "finish" planning there will always be a filing cabinet that would benefit from organizing... STOP.  The point is you control your time.  The time you choose to spend at school must be efficient.

My first year I thought I was being a good teacher and a good wife. I would bring my papers home and watch TV with my husband while grading papers.  My husband is very supportive but during that first year we had an incident where he finally explained that even though I was home, it felt like I wasn't home at all.  He pointed out that I was always working and he was right.  From that point forward I became more strategic because I value my marriage.

It is my belief that there are teacher's who wear their extra hours like a badge they've earned.  You'll hear them saying things like, "I normally don't get to leave this early," on the way out of the building or things like, "I was here until 7 working on..."  Don't worry about them.  They are working longer, not smarter.

Here are some philosophies and strategies that I use regularly:

• Looking for more practice?  Google it first. -  There are tons of free resources (and paid ones) available on the internet.  I know you can sit there and make a fancy worksheet... but if it's already available on the internet why re-invent the wheel?
• Beg, borrow and steal, but what I really mean is collaborate with more experienced teachers.  In this time of pay for performance I don't know what type of environment you work in but my first few teaching experiences were extremely collaborative. When you ask a veteran if they have any extra resources on a topic they may be willing share their files.  I then strongly recommend you  reciprocate when you do create your own fancy worksheets.
• Grade homework for completion- Any reasonable math teacher already knows that it is not possible to grade all problems for correctness but the faster you can check homework the sooner you can move on to more important things.  I will plan a later post for different ideas on checking homework.
• Know your content- I understand that when you are teaching a new subject there is a learning curve and you will likely need to brush up your skills on the topic.  But as you move forward in your career keep your mind sharp with content knowledge.  The better you know your subject matter the less time you will need to spend thinking about the nuances of content.
• Put your students to work-  I mean this is more ways than one.  At our school we are fortunate to have TAs available.  They help by making copies and I also have mine do little things around the classroom such as hanging up the next day's activity or cutting out activity cards. I also put my students to work when they are in class.  Of course every math class has moments of direct instruction but during the other moments I use engaging activities and collaborative strategies.  With a collaborative environment students can help each other which demands less teacher energy.  Also if students are engaged in their own practice activity sometimes (although rarely) that can provide the teacher time to work.
• I work through lunch- to be honest I know how much some teachers value this break in their day for social time.  I've found that sometimes the lunch room is more negative than positive.  If you love your lunch I am not advocating that you skip it but for me working during lunch is a strategic use of my time.
• Find engaging lesson ideas and then apply them to your content.  I've found great ideas all over the place, other teacher's lesson plans, the internet, math teacher catalogs etc.  I then take my content and create a version that will work in my classroom.  Once I try a new idea I gauge the level of success and if it went well I add it to my toolbox of lesson ideas.
• If you are going to create something, do it right the first time.  Each year I create and add new activities to my collection.  By adding quality from the beginning and creating a durable product I can ensure that my created product can be re-used for a few years or more before I need to worry about reprinting.
• Organization- I am incredibly unorganized in general.  My desk is a mess and I never remember if my extra copies are in the front of the room or the back.   But... I keep a paper file for each chapter of each textbook that I teach from.  By having paper files I can easily go through the folder and see what I want to use.  For me, that is easier than opening all my electronic files but if you have a system that works for you, use it!  The more organized you are the less time you will waste looking for things.

That's all I've got for tonight.  Do you have a strategy that you use to specifically work smarter not longer?

Birth of a Blog

I have friends that blog.  They are informative, inspirational and fun to read.  I've often thought of jumping on the band-wagon but didn't know what I would write about.  I hardly have "hobbies."  I tend to be a work-o-holic, have a great relationship with my husband and have a house full of pets.  I'm not a good home-maker.  I don't craft or sew and I really dislike cooking.  So... what to blog about?  

Honestly, I don't know why it didn't hit me sooner.  Something that I'm good at... my job.  I love my job.  I'm passionate about math and teaching math.  I'm certainly not perfect (I'm sure we'll get into that more later.)  But I do have a passion for collaborating so I thought why not share about that experience.  

Not a math teacher?  You may find other stuff from time to time, and/or you may realize that some of my posts are entertaining no matter who you are.   And if not... that's okay.  One of the things I value in my classroom is that everyone has their own passions.  People should find and pursue things they are good at and enjoy.  So if this blog doesn't suit your fancy that's okay with me.  

On another note.  I don't mind constructive criticism or suggestions for me to take back to the classroom but in general keep the judging to yourself.  Teaching is one of those professions where everyone has their own style.  Mine may not match yours but it is working for me.  

What gives me the authority to write on this subject?

For one, I live it everyday.  But beyond that I have the credentials to back it up.  My bachelors degree is in pure Mathematics and Mathematics Teaching.  I was previously certified to teach in Indiana and currently am certified to teach 6-12 Math in Florida.  In my district (the 8th largest in the nation) I was nominated and recognized as the 2012 Mathematics Teacher of Excellence.  Another fact that makes my experience unique is that I've been at a number of schools in my short time teaching.  Having worked in 4 different districts and 5 different schools from grades 8-12 I have seen schools and math departments run in a variety of ways. I also acknowledge that during these early years, as I started my career in a number of schools, I was open to new ideas and frequently stole the best ideas that I witnessed from the veterans around me. 

So welcome to my stories from a math classroom.  Most of these stories will be informative with the goal of helping other math teachers revitalize their classes.  

My last note is about blogging.  Blogging and writing by nature are not always the strong suits of a mathematician.  I suck at grammar.  Not necessarily the formulation of thoughts (I like to think I articulate well) but punctuation was a 5th grade lesson that I swear I missed.  So please read with an open heart and not an English teacher's critical eye :)