Math Students Organize Themselves With Mini-Binders
Help me give my students mini-binders to keep track of their homework assignments and special classwork. Eighth graders need help organizing their materials themselves and these binders give them one place to keep all their loose leaf work.
Most of my students come from families with tight budgets. My school is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and about 80% of my students come from low-income families. Last year we had a celebration after the state test and kids brought in tasty treats to share. A student who had nothing to share hung back when it was time to get in line for treats. "Why didn't you bring in a $1 bag of chips?" asked another student.
"My parents didn't have a dollar," the first student replied quietly.
What I love about my kids is how well they mix up to learn as well as socialize. I'll never forget seeing two kids excitedly playing a game at the end of the school year. They talked and giggled and cheered each other on for the entire class period. One child was living in a homeless shelter and the other lived in an elite neighborhood. I don't think they knew. They certainly didn't care.
That's why I love teaching in my public school. Kids from all walks of life have the same opportunity to learn and interact with each other.
My Project
My eighth grade math students still struggle with organizational skills. With many of them coming from homes with only one parent or with both parents working, there's no one to help them learn how to organize their materials. I provide paper along with the homework assignment but kids have trouble keeping track of both. A mini-binder for each student entering Algebra class in the fall will give them a place to put their new assignments along with their assignments that have been graded and returned. We're the only class in our middle school that uses half-sized graph paper so a mini-binder will stand out and make it easy for kids to grab the right materials when they're dashing to class.
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