Comments on: Why are so many people in Georgia mad about math?

By: Liz Smith

Liz Smith — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:04:24 +0000

Lack of communication is the cause of my angry towards Math 1. The state will say something vague like “Use area and volume models for polyonomials” so I did plenty of these type examples with students. Then my students come back to tell me about a question on their EOCT that was so beyond basic volume and area. I wish the state would communicate better with the level of understanding the students need to be given. And yes, I said GIVEN!

As for the performance tasks- I quit doing those 2 months into the year. My students hated coming to my class, hated doing the work and would remember more of the story line than the material. Fiona and her fences are not important- MATH IS IMPORTANT!!! I teach like a traditional teacher and hope for the best.

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Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:18:08 +0000

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By: Dennis

Dennis — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:28:03 +0000

I have taught for quite some time and I can say without hesitation that Math 1 is an absolute disaster. The children are not getting what they need. One in five will go to college, but the curriculum is college prep. Vocational skills are not being learned, and if academic standards are maintained, then the failure rate is horrendous. While we are standardizing everybody, why don’t we just put them all in a size 9 shoe as well?

By: Forsyth Dad

Forsyth Dad — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:57:07 +0000

Veteran teacher 2, I appreciate your perspective. I have two ninth-graders in Accelerated Math II and they are going nuts this year, after experiencing similar difficulty last year trying to take regular 8th-grade math and Accelerated Math I simultaneously last year. The problems they have experienced are primarily with the teaching method, or lack thereof. It appears to go something like this: 1.)They are given a “task” in class and start work on it, with the teacher walking around helping those that have questions — often teaching the same thing to multiple individuals. 2.) They come home and continue working on the task, only to discover more things they can’t figure out no matter how hard they try. 3.) They show up at the teacher’s room before school the next to get help completing the assigned task. 4.) The teacher answers questions in class about the assignment. 5.) They finish the task on their own time, to be turned in the day of the unit test for a grade. 5.) They take the test, and often run out of time. Maybe this happens because the method they “figured out” was not the fastest; who knows.

In at least one case it was after one son got the test back that figure out if they thought they understood something but didn’t. That son, taught by the one who is the true believer in this “discovery” method, is currently failing the class. The other, taught by a teacher who sympathizes with their frustration and occasionally slips in a little actual teaching, was doing much better until his teacher started collaborating with the other teacher in an effort to be consistent.

I suspect that a less “mile-wide, inch-deep” curriculum would help them with their self-learning, but it’s hard to say given the issues with they have getting somebody to teach them anything. I keep going back to their 7th-grade accelerated math teacher, a citizen of South Africa whom we were blessed to have through a visiting-teacher program. He taught the curriculum, but he also challenged them with advanced concepts and inspired them to figure things out creatively. He had a class full of actual fans. The son who is failing said this morning that he wished he had a teacher who “wanted to be the best math teacher in the world.” That, he said, was what drove Mr. Williams, his hero from seventh grade.

By: ScienceTeacher671

ScienceTeacher671 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:29:47 +0000

Some schools have a slower track with “Math Support”….if you’re currently doing math at a 3rd or 4th grade level (according to ITBS, anyway) you’re probably going to have trouble with Algebra, though.

By: Reality 2

Reality 2 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:48:48 +0000

There is an accelerated math, isn’t there?

In the original state plan, there was also a “slower” track, too. I don’t know what happened to that one, though.

By: not buying the new curriculum

not buying the new curriculum — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:21:07 +0000

HS Math Teacher, I really urge you to contact your state legislators about passing new graduation laws. They tried last year, but the legislation died in committee. I don’t think there was enough cause for alarm at this time last year.Now that the class of 2012 (first class affected by the one track college prep diploma for all mentality) are moving closer to the liklihood of increased dropout rates, people will start to sit up and pay attention.

By: HS Math Teacher

HS Math Teacher — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:24:10 +0000

I agree, Reality 2, and understand that the math changes involve defined standards in lieu of the objectives, curriculum changes to meet those standards, and a framework that encompasses what a student should learn by certain established time periods. The system I am referring to is the one we chose created by Carnegie Publishing. The sequencing of topics presented is the publisher’s doing – that’s not a problem created by the State. I should have left out the last paragraph of my post above. I will say though that Carnegie Learning has a great tutorial software program, and other very good resources. I never have to make up tasks, or create worksheets, graph paper, etc. Books are consumable, and can be changed from year-to-year to reflect any changes the State may make.

I still contend there should be a BASIC or CORE curriculum for those kids who will never go to a college, and are headed to the military, technical schools, or straight to a job. That’s the biggest complaint I have. We do not have an accelerated track, and ALL kids are being shoehorned in a one diploma system. I’m going extended day as is, with around 30 in each class. I’m already seeing a few more gray hairs on my head.