Math Is Fun Forum

Math_Den

Member

Registered: 2012-04-01

Posts: 6

New Math teacher here :)

Hi all,

I am a math teacher and spend a lot of my time marking and planning classes. I spend up to 60 hours per week doing this. I'd be interested to hear what tricks people here use to speed up their work or to save time. Thanks!

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi;

Welcome to the forum!

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

anonimnystefy

Real Member

From: Harlan's World

Registered: 2011-05-23

Posts: 16,049

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi Math_Den

Welcome to the forum!!!

I think there are some people who can help you with that planning and stuff.

Here is a link from me:

Time Managment for Teachers

---

“Here lies the reader who will never open this book. He is forever dead.
“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
The knowledge of some things as a function of age is a delta function.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,621

Re: New Math teacher here :)

hi Math_Den

Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like your pupils have a lot for which to thank you.  That's a lot of commitment! 

If you are preparing quality lessons, there are no short cuts because only you know exactly what your classes need.  But it will get easier as time goes by, because you will find you can re-use ideas and materials and you'll begin to carry stuff around in your head that you can trot out at a moment's notice.  Some of my best lessons occurred when I had to make it up as I went along.  For one Ofsted (inspection regime if you are not in the UK) I had my carefully prepared plan (which I'd spent hours over and given a copy to the inspector).  When I began with a recap of what the class should already know, it was clear they didn't.  So I changed tack and concentrated on getting that sorted out first.  Which very much meant making it up as I went along.  It took the whole lesson!  I was quite worried about what the inspector would make of that.  Thankfully he praised me for it.  He said if I'd carried on with the clearly inappropriate plan, he'd have given the lesson a 'fail'.  Phew!

As for marking you need to think about what you are doing it for.  I can think of 4 possible reasons:

(i)  To prove to anyone looking at the books that you are doing your job.  Huh!  That's the reason of lowest importance!

(ii) To find out whether the members of the class are learning what you are teaching. That is important but there are other ways of achieving it.  Question and answer for instance.  And there's another which I'll deal with next.

(iii) To give the pupils feedback about how they are getting on.  Again there are other ways of achieving this.  You could get them to mark their own work from an answer sheet (OK if you trust them not to cheat) or they could assess each other.  This has lots of benefits.  It gets them more involved in the education process; gives them an element of control; promotes useful discussion about an answer and who is right;  reinforces the understanding of the pupil who 'knows' the right answer as they try to explain it to their friend.  .......

(iv)  To give encouragement.  Again there are many other ways you can do this;  it doesn't all have to be 10/10 Well Done! written in their exercise book. 

So what I'm suggesting is,  maybe you could explore alternatives that don't cost you time and yet still achieve the purpose.  You'll never get away from all traditional marking but you could cut down without losing anything and perhaps gaining something.

Good luck and stay in touch, 

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,420

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi Math_Den,

Welcome to the forum!

---

It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

Math_Den

Member

Registered: 2012-04-01

Posts: 6

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi;

Welcome to the forum!

Hi,

, I agree and happy to be here. Thank you.

We will be keeping in touch!

Math_Den

Member

Registered: 2012-04-01

Posts: 6

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi Math_Den,

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks to you!

Math_Den

Member

Registered: 2012-04-01

Posts: 6

Re: New Math teacher here :)

hi Math_Den

Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like your pupils have a lot for which to thank you.  That's a lot of commitment! 

If you are preparing quality lessons, there are no short cuts because only you know exactly what your classes need.  But it will get easier as time goes by, because you will find you can re-use ideas and materials and you'll begin to carry stuff around in your head that you can trot out at a moment's notice.  Some of my best lessons occurred when I had to make it up as I went along.  For one Ofsted (inspection regime if you are not in the UK) I had my carefully prepared plan (which I'd spent hours over and given a copy to the inspector).  When I began with a recap of what the class should already know, it was clear they didn't.  So I changed tack and concentrated on getting that sorted out first.  Which very much meant making it up as I went along.  It took the whole lesson!  I was quite worried about what the inspector would make of that.  Thankfully he praised me for it.  He said if I'd carried on with the clearly inappropriate plan, he'd have given the lesson a 'fail'.  Phew!

As for marking you need to think about what you are doing it for.  I can think of 4 possible reasons:

(i)  To prove to anyone looking at the books that you are doing your job.  Huh!  That's the reason of lowest importance!

(ii) To find out whether the members of the class are learning what you are teaching. That is important but there are other ways of achieving it.  Question and answer for instance.  And there's another which I'll deal with next.

(iii) To give the pupils feedback about how they are getting on.  Again there are other ways of achieving this.  You could get them to mark their own work from an answer sheet (OK if you trust them not to cheat) or they could assess each other.  This has lots of benefits.  It gets them more involved in the education process; gives them an element of control; promotes useful discussion about an answer and who is right;  reinforces the understanding of the pupil who 'knows' the right answer as they try to explain it to their friend.  .......

(iv)  To give encouragement.  Again there are many other ways you can do this;  it doesn't all have to be 10/10 Well Done! written in their exercise book. 

So what I'm suggesting is,  maybe you could explore alternatives that don't cost you time and yet still achieve the purpose.  You'll never get away from all traditional marking but you could cut down without losing anything and perhaps gaining something.

Good luck and stay in touch, 

Bob

Hi Bob,

Hi,

That was great! Those are brilliant ideas too. As possible, we will keep in touch always.

Hill_Runner

Member

Registered: 2012-04-16

Posts: 1

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi everyone,

I am a Math teacher too. I have been teaching less than 3 years and I have similar problem with Math_Den on how to save time marking and planning of classes, and I am also looking forward to hear what others could contribute or perhaps help to lessen this problem. However, the tips and what others had shared with Math_Den is extremely a good source of additional information. Keep in touch!

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hello Hill_Runner;

Welcome to the forum.

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,420

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi Hill_Runner,

Good wishes to you!

Welcome to the forum!

---

It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,621

Re: New Math teacher here :)

hi Hill_Runner

Welcome to the forum!

Where (what country) do you teach?

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Math_Den

Member

Registered: 2012-04-01

Posts: 6

Re: New Math teacher here :)

Hi everyone,

I am a Math teacher too. I have been teaching less than 3 years and I have similar problem with Math_Den on how to save time marking and planning of classes, and I am also looking forward to hear what others could contribute or perhaps help to lessen this problem. However, the tips and what others had shared with Math_Den is extremely a good source of additional information. Keep in touch!

Hi Hill_Runner,

Welcome, I have been working for less than 10 years. I teach high school - years 7-12 and spends about 60 hours per week working (approximately 20 hours in the classroom PLUS approximately 40 hours preparing classes and marking papers). What about you?