(no subject)
I'm a first-year teacher in the South Bronx. I teach 9th and
10th grade math. I need some advice…
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Nearly all of my students failed their
first math test. There are a variety of reasons for this I think, some
of my students don't do homework or study-some have entered the 9th
grade at a 5th grade or 4th grade level-a few have learning
disabilities. Many of them do not read or write English terribly well.
But, most are bright-and could do well, I think. If only if I knew how
to show them how.
Out of 40 or so students I have in 9th grade, two scored Bs , three
Cs, 8 Ds and the rest answered less than half of the questions
correct. I would venture that the exam was simply too hard, but I used
questions from the regent's identical to many we did in class and as
homework.
I'm depressed about giving them the tests back-I don't want them to
give up hope. Especially the ones who do their homework and who I
know try hard. But, they still have not grasped the concepts of our
first unit. I can't lie to them-Besides. I didn't think the test was
too hard-I timed myself taking it and it took me about 4 minutes-so, I
gave them 40-many were still working when the bell rang. How can it
take so long to answer a question like: -3-8 ? We did dozens of
examples in class. They did OK on the homework. Maybe they were just
stressed by the test? I don't know.
I teach 90 minute periods so I spent the first half of class working
with them on example problems-maybe I'm just a bad teacher.
I don't know what to do.
10th grade math. I need some advice…
I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Nearly all of my students failed their
first math test. There are a variety of reasons for this I think, some
of my students don't do homework or study-some have entered the 9th
grade at a 5th grade or 4th grade level-a few have learning
disabilities. Many of them do not read or write English terribly well.
But, most are bright-and could do well, I think. If only if I knew how
to show them how.
Out of 40 or so students I have in 9th grade, two scored Bs , three
Cs, 8 Ds and the rest answered less than half of the questions
correct. I would venture that the exam was simply too hard, but I used
questions from the regent's identical to many we did in class and as
homework.
I'm depressed about giving them the tests back-I don't want them to
give up hope. Especially the ones who do their homework and who I
know try hard. But, they still have not grasped the concepts of our
first unit. I can't lie to them-Besides. I didn't think the test was
too hard-I timed myself taking it and it took me about 4 minutes-so, I
gave them 40-many were still working when the bell rang. How can it
take so long to answer a question like: -3-8 ? We did dozens of
examples in class. They did OK on the homework. Maybe they were just
stressed by the test? I don't know.
I teach 90 minute periods so I spent the first half of class working
with them on example problems-maybe I'm just a bad teacher.
I don't know what to do.