Saturday, August 29, 2009

Boredom Sucks


I broke down and looked at ARIS. I wish I didn't.

I found out I am teaching the first term of of Integrated Algebra, the four term sequence. (Teaching AP as well gives me the top and the bottom of the school, a very varied program.) I looked at records and that is why I am depressed.

The majority of my class took the algebra regents in June and the scores ranged from 13% to 79%, with most of the grades in the 20's. I don't know why the 79% is in this group, but I will find out and try to get this poor child out as soon as school starts. Grades this low can mean only one thing--these kids know almost nothing about math.

I also clicked on some icon that gave me the standards from 2007 (I think.) There were red squares and green squares and I am really confused as to what they mean. It looks like three greens meant the kid scored a 3, but if they did, the regents grades never should have been so low. And some kids have rainbow squares so I really am clueless in this area.

Even if I figure out the codes, I still have to figure out a way to get this material across to them. ARIS is giving me no help in this area. Billions of dollars and still no way to help.

I'm going back to playing with the photos I took today. That activity is a lot less painful.

(pictured above is the Capitol Building)

5 comments:

mathman42 said...

I don't understand how you could be teaching term 1 and the students already took the regents. Be happy that you have four terms to do the curriculum. Even if they can only count on their fingers you have enough time to teach them. We had only two terms with a similar population and of course few pass. I'll look at ARIS again and try to answer your question here.

Pissedoffteacher said...

I am not so egotistical that I think I can do what all the tachers before me could not.

There will be 34 kids of mixed levels in the classand there will be behavior and attendance issues.

I'm not complaining about the assignment. I don't think ARIS will be of any help and I probably should have waited until 9/8 to look at it.

12 more years said...

My biggest mistake of the summer was looking at ARIS the other day. All I gained from it is learning how I am getting screwed over once again this year.

Ricochet said...

Since I am teaching the low end as well, I hope to share strategies and materials. I have gotten several out who failed by a point or 2 and will be doing this by computer while I struggle with the ones who REALLY don't get it.

I am focusing on solving equations (will get there in a week or so) and graphing.

POD - celebrate the fact that you have some students who will "get" what you teach.

mathman42 said...

I forgot that i won't have ARIS again until my classes are assigned. Your class is similar to what I always get. I am convinced that their problem is not so much the math. It is LANGUAGE. The whole concept of reading, understanding, and coming up with a strategy is what they have not been trained to do. I am going to try to incorporate more writing and problem work out, either minimizing the multiple choice for at least six weeks or adding more choices. Integrated Algebra requires a lot more understanding than Math A to get a 75. Any student who scores below 75 really knows very little.

PO, From my reading of your blog over the last few months, I can't imagine anyone better to teach this group. If 60 % of those who show up regularly pass you will have done very well.