TESS Artifacts
Through my educational and professional experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to build a strong, diverse skill set that has proven to be an asset in many different situations. Read below to learn more.
TESS #1, Planning and Preparation
One of the great parts about being a teacher is that we get to stand on the shoulders of those that taught before us. There is a veritable smorgasbord of teaching information and resources available to anyone on the internet at a moment’s notice. Possibly my most valuable possession in my teaching arsenal is my list of online resources. Some of my favorite include: Master Math Mentor’s Calculus curriculum; StatsMedic’s curriculum; this in-browser LaTeX scriptor (https://www.codecogs.com/latex/eqneditor.php); this constructed alphabet for geometry classes (http://www.goines.net/acra_book/acra_content/files/toc.html); and, of course, Desmos.
We are all caught off guard every once and a while. Teachers are no exception—sometimes life throws a wrench in your plans and your teaching team changes their plans last minute. In situations like those, it can be a lifesaver to have a list of resources at your command. When creating your own lessons, using resources as a reference is an excellent way to develop personalized instruction without sacrificing large quantities of time. In creating a list of classroom-relevant content, a teacher can both prepare for the worst while improving their own quality of teaching.
*See right plans for one of my geometry classes that uses CBG (Competency-Based Grading).
TESS #2, Classroom Environment
A way in which I build math fluency is by fostering the idea that my classroom is not a “math classroom”, rather “a place to learn.” I understand that math itself is important, and I understand my job is to teach math. But math alone does nothing. As the saying goes: engineering is applied chemistry, chemistry is applied physics, physics is applied math.
One of my favorite ways to teach and study math is through art. In my future classroom, I plan on having a wall for students to investigate arts through a mathematical lens. On this wall will be pictures of works of notable art—paintings, sculpture, musical albums, etc. The students may choose, whenever they like, a piece of art from the wall and complete a small project (approved by me) or critique using some kind of mathematical analysis. Their reward is that their project is placed on the wall, near their chosen art piece, for everyone to see until the end of the year. This motivates students to decorate the class with the information they want and however they see fit. The overall goal being to reinforce the idea that math is not a collection of letters and numbers for the sole use of science, but a system of communication by which we can relate the complex ideas present in everyday life.
TESS #3, Instruction
The goal of a teacher is not to teach but for the students to understand. With our goal in the hands of the students, we must cater to the learning needs of the individual. I cater to my students with atypical learning styles using differentiation through the arts, practical examples, and (although rarely) high level math.
Math is complex. It can be difficult to describe with just numbers, letters, and symbols. By using comics, we might catch the attention of the students who often feel math is uninspiring or artless. By comparing logical concepts to sports or games, we can show how to translate ideological understandings to practical ones. Comparisons to real life, especially in ways that are not entirely rooted in mathematics, are essential to a modern math teacher’s toolkit. These comparisons connect math to the student’s life while working towards fluency. With thoughtful presentation and good student relationships, a math teacher can create a life-long learner who truly cares about math.
*See right a comic strip I created to help students understand the idea of balancing equations for a 7th grade classroom.
TESS #4, Professional Responsibilities
Sometimes being a teacher is similar to being a veterinarian, diagnosing issues with incommunicative patients. Students cannot tell you what they don’t know, since, well, they don't know what they don't know. So I rely on data to speak for them. Data is very important to me. Oftentimes, I am able to learn more from the data I gather than what the students asking questions about. This is why I believe that data and assessment analysis are fundamental teaching skills.
I see each data point as a clue in the mystery titled, “What have my students learned?” Every point joins together to show me answers to difficult questions like: is my test too difficult? Is my lesson format working? Where do my students have holes? I use the data from my classes to create new assessments, determine the viability of those assessments, and design future instruction, among other tasks. Close examination of classroom data, paired with a working knowledge of your individual students, is the backbone of being able to evaluate both your pupils and yourself as a professional.
*See below an academic research presentation poster regarding my analysis of pre- and post-assessments. This was completed during my internships mentioned on the Education and Experience tabs.
