Introduction

For information about my background and education, kindly refer to the about page.

But why, oh why, did I choose to become a teacher? You'll have to figure that out for yourself...

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CSTP Growth and Development

CSTP 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning	CSTP 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning	CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
CSTP 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students	CSTP 5: Assessing Students for Learning	CSTP 6: Developing as a Professional Educator

Impact on Student Success

Solving Complex Problems

Note: These are recreations of student work examples. These students are not my most advanced students. I wanted to feature their work to demonstrate the effects of peer collaboration, valuing student voice, and encouraging student creativity.

Applying Mathematics to Everyday Life

Mathematics III: One-Variable Statistics Project

Mathematics III: One-Variable Statistics Project

Mathematics I: Dream Vacation Project

"Ms. Wan is one of the best new math teachers we have..."

Developing as a Professional Educator

CSTP Growth and Development

CSTP 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning	CSTP 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning	CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
CSTP 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students	CSTP 5: Assessing Students for Learning	CSTP 6: Developing as a Professional Educator

• Professional Goal Beyond Induction: I intend on continuing to grow in all CSTP areas, with an immediate focus on CSTP 5D: Assessment for Continuous Improvement. My goal is to plan instruction that continuously revisits topics that most students struggle with. For example, many of my Integrated Mathematics III students struggle with factoring quadratics, a topic we cover in Unit II. I plan to incorporate this skill into later units so that students have the chance to review and improve their mastery of this skill. Another example is systems of linear equations, a Unit V skill that my Mathematics I students find challenging. I would like to continuously revisit this skill in different contexts so that students have many opportunities to practice.
• Action Plan for Professional Goal: One action that I will take to meet my goal is to present challenging skills in different contexts. For example, I plan to present systems of linear equations within the context of area and perimeter equations. This may help students see how the skill is connected to other mathematical topics, rather than being an isolated and abstract concept. Another action that I will take is to present different methods to successfully completing a skill. For example, some students may find factoring by grouping easier than the "Slide and Divide" or box method for factoring quadratics. I will know if I have acheived my goal if more students are able to perform a skill at the end of the school year compared to the initial unit assessment that they completed after I first introduced the skill. I can use both formal and informal assessments to measure student performance.
• Remaining a Connected Educator: I plan to remain a connected educator by attending and participating in workshops, seminars, and other professional development events and communities. I am particularily interested in learning how to utilitze vertical workspaces in order to increase collaboration. I also intend to learn more about how to support students with IEPs and 504 plans. I highly value any opportunity to connect with other educators, and prioritze creating time and space to do so.
• Sustainability: One key step to reduce teacher burnout that I worked on this year was not doing too many things at once. I am always eager to improve my teaching practices and try the newest instructional strategy that I just learned, but trying to change multiple things in short span of time left me feeling overwhelmed. I taught myself to identify one change I wanted to implement in my classroom and not add another element until I was comfortable with the implementation of that change.
• Advice for New Teachers: Knowing when, how, and who to ask for help can be difficult as a new teacher. It can sometimes be difficult to reveal to someone that you don't know it all (even if they already know you don't). However, the more you practice asking questions, the easier it becomes.

Contributing to the Profession

Helpful Resources

Mathematics III: Worth It Project

This project uses exponential and logarithmic equations to explore the value of different career paths. Students research four different careers that require varying levels of education (High School Diploma, Trade School Certification, Associate's Degree, Bachelor's Degree). They compare student loan repayment plans that require fixed payments or income-driven monthly payments.

Link to Project Document

Link to Student Handout

Error Busters

These worksheets helps students analyze and explain procedural errors. If you name the "Students" after popular media or sports, it makes the activity more fun. You can make these worksheets collaborative as well (see Solving Radical Equations).

• Error Busters: Solving Linear Equations
• Error Busters: Solving Radical Equations
• Error Busters: Factoring Polynomials
Error Busters: Factoring Polynomials
• Error Busters: Composite Functions

Gimkit

This is one of the best online resources I have found that gamifies learning and engages students. I use this resource to review procedural skills, such as multiplication tables and integer operations, as well as review before a quiz or exam.

Select a set of questions. You can use the search feature to find sets created by other educators as well.

Chose a game and display the invite code.

Image courtesy of daycreekhowl.org

Sit back and watch your students have fun. Or join them! Usually, I give extra credit points to the top three winners of each game.