As a teacher heading into my 2nd year of math, I have already come face-to-face with my inability to lead a class of 7th graders into a deep and indwelling love of ratios, integers, algebraic expressions, and probabilities. For sure, in my first year of teaching math I had winning lessons. I developed a lesson that involved flipping coins, connecting that with a video from Khan Academy, and had it tied to an example problem from the practice assessment given by the state. That, was a win. Then there was the day that I was being observed and two students put their heads down and pretty much fell asleep. One of them was sick, the other unengaged. That, was a non-win.
In light of this, I reached out into the #MTBoS with this want-ad. A couple of people responded to the challenge, and more may join in, and this journey of an online PLC (Professional Learning Community) has come from a glint in one man’s eye to a virtual reality.
My hope is that we can document our journey together, one a newbie teacher, others who are seasoned veterans at this profession, and provide some light to the very dark evenings before the next class. Those evenings when you are searching desperately for a lesson, a hook, something to make the day in the classroom more bearable can often be the loneliest nights on the planet. Maybe, just maybe we can provide something to make a difference in a teacher’s life which translates to a student’s life, which then changes the world as we know it. Even in just writing this first post, I think my world has already changed.
Welcome to my math PLC.
–Mr. P
My Math PLC 