Math isn't always a student's favorite subject, but my students come in ready to tackle all of the challenges that come their way on a daily basis. I teach in a medium sized, Title 1 school with a large degree of diversity; in what students look like, where they come from, whom they love, what they believe in and where their family falls on the socioeconomic ladder. Many of them have struggles they need to overcome on a daily basis just to make it to school. Many students are receiving free or reduced lunch. On top of all of that my students all have disabilities.
Even with all of their challenges my students come ready to learn!
We work on problems as a team and make sure everyone learns. My classroom is a haven of support and understanding where everyone is a welcomed and celebrated part of the team. Now, if only we had the tools we need to do math with!
My Project
The geometry curriculum asks my students to make constructions starting day one. I have a few plastic compasses that I bought with my own money a few years ago, but they are falling apart and really hard to use. Our current compasses have been taped up, and "fixed" in any creative way that makes them some what usable, but I have difficulty using them now and for my students it is almost impossible.
Students with disabilities often struggle with geometry as it is, but working with materials that are falling apart is disheartening in addition to being difficult.
Instead of just using their concentration to remember the steps, they also have to deal with their materials shifting on them. Even if they remember how to do the work, their end result looks like they have done it wrong because the compasses won't hold their measurement.
One of the projects that help to make geometry fun is having student construct a hexagon and personalize it. They get to show who they are inside of a geometric construction. When the tools work the end results are something they are very proud of.
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