Tips for New Math Teachers in the Middle and High School Classroom

​Calling all NEW Middle School and High School Math Teachers!!! I have very important advice for you…the best advice I’m ever going to share…ready for it?!

YOU CANNOT DO ALL THE THINGS!!!

Yes, it’s in caps because I am shouting it!

I remember when I was a first-year teacher and I thought I was going to be the best teacher by creating amazing activities, make every lesson “fun”, get to know each student’s strengths and weaknesses to differentiate for each one, integrate real world projects in every unit of study, follow all the new education trends, etc. I learned pretty quickly that there are only so many hours in a day, and even though I’m a high energy person…I am just one person, and I definitely set my expectations way too high. Quite frankly, even veteran teachers can’t do all the things.

I’m not saying throw in the towel for trying to do all the things. What I’m saying is, YOU can’t do all the things yourself, nor all at one time.

Not All the Things

• YOU don’t have to re-teach lessons to students who were absent or didn’t get it the first time. There’s YouTube for that.
• YOU don’t have to begin your first year knowing what works and doesn’t work. There are blog posts made by experienced teachers for that.
• YOU don’t have to create every fun activity yourself. There are activities all over the internet you can use….literally thousands and thousands of activities to choose from.
• YOU don’t have to do a real-world project for every single concept. Mini-lessons are great too! There is Desmos for that.
• YOU don’t have to follow every new education trend. Find ONE that will work best for your teaching style and your students. Then, implement that.

These are just a few suggestions of how to work smarter, not harder…because (here it is again), you can’t do all the things.

Not All at One Time

​If you are one of those teachers, like myself, that teaches several different grade levels, pick one grade level each year you REALLY want to focus on and improve it. Then, the next year, pick a different grade level. I set up a review cycle of content and implementation goals each year by grade level. It looks something like this:

Moral of the Story

I’m basically saying this…YOU don’t have to know or do everything yourself, and  you absolutely cannot implement it all at one time. Learn from those of us that have been around awhile, and definitely don’t re-invent the wheel. So many amazing ideas and activities are at your finger tips, thanks to the internet. And don’t forget to come up with a system for improvements year after year, like my review cycle idea. A little at a time, done well, goes a long way!

​So, where can you start?

FUN ACTIVITIES

Get started by using activities from my FREE resource library and my TpT store by clicking on the images below. You can also use our best friends, Google Search and Pinterest to find activities based on each math concept.

​REAL WORLD PROJECTS & MINI-LESSONS

Desmos Classroom Activities & you can find more in-depth projects  in my store.

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

I’ve created a few instructional videos, which you can find on the Algebra and Beyond YouTube Channel. You can also learn about other YouTube Channels I love to have my students watch for help.

LEARN FROM OTHERS

You can find several tips on my BLOG. I’ve also asked some of my math friends to share their best tips…so here they are:

How to Get Secondary Students to Behave for a Substitute ​- Kacie Travis, The Efficient Classroom ​ Teachers, let’s face it. It is easier to come to school sick than prepare for a sub. And the worst part is coming back to 3 pages of how poorly your class behaved. Oddly, you may have notes about students who have never stepped a toe out of line and it will make you wonder what got into your students and make you sick at your stomach all at the same time. It happens to the best of us. Be prepared for a sub by having these safe-guards in place. [READ MORE]

​Get off to a great start day 1! ​- Rise Over Run ​ ​The first day of school sets the tone for the year. Engage students with a math activity, get to know them, and let them get to know you and your expectations. In this blog post, you’ll find some favorite activities for the beginning of the school year. [READ MORE]

Keeping it R.E.A.L. in Math Class – Amanda Nix, Free to Discover Congratulations on joining the elite group of crazy math teachers! You will now inevitably be asked, “when am I ever going to use this?” Well, you better make sure you’re armed with an answer. Check out this post for four keys to keeping math R.E.A.L. for students. [READ MORE]

​Bellwork Keeps Me Sane – Mrs. E Teaches Math ​ Teaching procedures is the most important thing you can do at the beginning of the school year. This beginning of class procedure saves my sanity and starts class on the right foot. It’s not too late to implement in your classroom tomorrow! [READ MORE]

​High schoolers want fun too! – Damman’s Algebra Room I’d like to let you in on a little secret, students love to play games and WORK hard for a piece of candy. ha! For real though, I strongly encourage you to give them a try. Check out this easy, low-prep game that incorporates movement and will guarantee 100% participation. [LEARN MORE]

​Math Teacher Hack: Use Sticker Paper for Notebooks (especially for coordinate planes!) – Math Giraffe Free Coordinate Plane Stickers, Graphic Organizers, and Tips: ​Using Sticker Labels to Make Math Notebooks Interactive, Easy, and Efficient [READ MORE]

First Day of School (and beyond) Advice for New Math Teachers – Kate’s Math Lessons I sent out a survey to over 10,000 math teachers. Here’s a round-up of the advice they shared for new math teachers! [LEARN MORE]

Classroom Management: How to Manage Middle Schoolers – Jamie Miller Math Let’s talk about classroom management; the thing that they don’t really teach you how to do in college (at least not when I was in school). Classroom management is something that many teachers struggle with during their first year of teaching and it can make or break your school year. I’m here to tell you that classroom management does get better! [READ MORE]