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Journal #4 March 9th

I am in a 6th grade classroom and the students switch to go into different subject areas. I get to see many styles of teaching and assessments. I noticed that the math teacher is always structured and organized. The math teacher only follows the material in the book. Every Monday is a new math lesson. After a chapter the students have a test. Before learning a chapter, however, the teacher goes over what basic knowledge the students already learned to know to complete the lesson. The students are assessed orally when they go over the content area. First, the teacher explains to the students what previous knowledge the students need to know. He calls on the students randomly, which helps the students pay attention in class. If he sees students not paying attention he calls on them specifically. The teacher speaks fast, but his method of teaching is informative. He keeps the students awake with his loud instructive voice. After the students learn the material, he gives them examples in the book. The problems the students do not complete is to be taken home for homework.

He lets the students ask him questions if they do not understand the assignment. This helps the students because if they do not understand the material, the teacher teacher is there to help the student out one on one. The teacher always announces to the students to come after school if they are having problems. Sometimes the teacher even addresses specific students to stay after school. This method of teaching is structured and organized, but the teacher is only using the book. In order for the students to learn the material, they need hands on activities without worksheets and their books. The teacher is using the white board, but he either needs to give the students their own white boards to work on or a way to get them more interested in the lesson.

The teacher is working with fractions. Students can learn by using food or specific objects like a pie pieces to use instead of working with a piece of paper and pencil. The students needs to understand the material. In order for the student to understand the material, they need to have authentic materials. Relating each lesson to everyday life will help interest all of the students. Even if the teacher has one day a week be a game day, so the students can play games while they learn. Instead of assessing the students on homework, the teacher should focus on how they work on the homework in class. Sometimes the students can work in pair. Most of the time one student is doing all of the work while the other student is copying the answers. Instead of working in partners the teacher should make them work individually, so the students can receive individual help if needed.

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