Keeping the Pace #flipblogs

Algebra 1 has a lot of standards.

And for 8th-grade Algebra 1, I have to teach about half of the 8th-grade standards in addition to all the Algebra 1 standards (advanced 7th-grade math gets the other half).

It's 61 standards in all.

Oh, and make sure you cover them in-depth, so that students have a conceptual understanding of them all and can demonstrate mastery.

This is not a problem unique to me. All teachers have a lot of material to cover and have to ensure their students know those standards.

But the last couple of years, I have struggled to cover all my standards. I've been going more in-depth with lots of standards (a good thing) and ending the year with more than a handful of standards uncovered (a bad thing).

So for the past week or so I've been working on my Algebra 1 pacing guide.

I started with broad topics and then sorted my standards into the topic(s) they belonged.

Yes, I wrote out all my standards, some of them multiple times.

I then started deciding which standards would take less time and the ones I for which I would need more days.

I found a great website - When Math Happens - with a workable pacing guide AND complete lessons for Algebra 1! I also found Better Lesson, where I can find lessons for specific standards, even the ones I read and think, "So how do I teach THAT?!?" I'm reading information about how to spiral math from Kyle Pearce and John Orr.

And a plan is coming together. It's still largely in my head, but I'm confident it will (mostly) materialize.

Will I be able to cover all of it? We shall see, but I'm optimistic.

The Beat Goes On #flipblogs

There's a new #flipblogs challenge!

I'm still on leave and thus not experiencing a lot of blogging inspiration, but the school part of my brain has been kicking into gear, so I have a few things I can blog about.

I'm asked pretty regularly, "Do you miss being at school?" and the honest answer is, "Not really." I do miss my students and friends, and I'm looking forward to returning to the classroom in the fall (Lord willing), but it has been a blessing to be able to focus on what is the priority.

There was a fleeting thought early in my leave of, "What if I don't want to go back?"

While I knew the answer, it was confirmed last Friday.

I went to school to accompany my Algebra Team to the county math tournament.

The first student I saw was my student who is blind. I was having a conversation with a teacher friend, and the student came to stand near us. I told her, "Hi," and she said, "Mrs. Gibbs??? Mrs. Gibbs!!!" She literally shook she was so excited, and she brought tears to my eyes.

As I spent the day with my team and then saw more students after school - who came to give me hugs and seemed genuinely happy to see me - I realized my teacher-heart still beats strongly.

I'm thankful for the opportunity and ability to take some time off when I needed it, but this teacher still loves doing what she does and is excited to be able to continue doing it.