Noticing Blog Week 4-Moskowitz

Tracey Moskowitz
Noticing Blog
Week 4


I have noticed in math that the students are very energetic. It is the last period of the day and they have just returned from recess and lunch. Controlling their energy is difficult for the teacher and instead of providing them with engaging work, she constantly yells at them. Hands on, group group, and interactive lessons would help mediate their high levels of energy.
Another thing that I have observed is that many of the lessons in math do not contain time for the students to share their work with the class or with a partner. In one of the last readings, it noted that students can speak about their math thinking better than writing about it. I think it would be beneficial for the students to talk more about their thinking in math.
The lessons are relevant to the children's lives in some respects. They are about things they are familiar with, for example cities or food or after school activities. They also can be answered different ways. I would say that the problems are high level, but the lesson does not emphasize talking about math, rather the teacher calls on one student to provide the answer and the next problem is worked on. The students who do not know how to do a problem can easily wait for that one person to say the answer. This way of conducting a lesson does not hold the students accountable for learning math
I also think that a majority of the students are motivated. When completing circle graphs, several students wanted me to check if they were correct. They really wanted to get the right. Others always want me to come over to help them. I don't want them to rely on my help, therefore, I ask them what they think and assess if they need help or not. I obviously help the lower learners, but as a class, the majority of students want approval from me.