1st Day of School

For the last few years I have started the year by giving students a Sudoku puzzle when they come in the first day of school.  I explain the rules and let them work in small groups.  After they work a few minutes I stop them and pose the question “Is Sudoku math?”  I have them write down yes or no and some sort of justification.  I begin emphasizing that I am more concerned with the justification than the actual answer.  This emphasis is something that will continue throughout the year.

The distribution of answers varies greatly from class to class and year to year.  The discussion usually follows the same progression of key points though.

   Sudoku is math because it involves numbers.

   Sudoku is not math because there are no calculations.  You could use any 9 distinct symbols.

   Sudoku is math because it uses logic/problem solving/critical thinking.

I really enjoy leading students back and forth in this discussion.  There are some great thoughts into the structure of math (numbers, symbols, operations, logic,...). In the end, I try to leave the question open.  Many students feel uncomfortable without a clear answer.  I want them to start to become comfortable with uncertainty.  I want them to experience math in my class with an open mind and decide for themselves.  Based on their experiences with math so far, they may not think Sudoku is math.  Hopefully, I can provide them with new experiences this year so they don’t just think of math as numbers and calculations.

After exploring the MTBoS, I feel as though I need to provide my students with more explicit guidance for working collaboratively in groups.  I love this broken circles activity from Sarah Carter.  I’m hoping I can work this in without losing the opportunity to have a rich discussion on defining math on the first day.  Ideally, I would like to set the tone for the year by challenging students’ beliefs of math while also pushing students to work collaboratively.

I listed a few other activities I came across that I really like as well.

Henri Picciotto assigns for homework a short math autobiography with goals for math this year.

Jon Orr uses a “Math is like…” prompt.

I've used the Marshmallow Challenge at the end of the year after testing but it might be useful to start the year with it.

Story Behind The Name

I chose “Math Mulligans” because (beyond the nice alliteration) I see a lot of parallels between teaching math and golf.  

I hit a lot of bad shots during a round of golf.  Some of those bad shots are completely off target.  Some feel good but still do not reach the intended destination.  Others are anything but textbook, yet they get the job done.  My round is usually a scramble all over the place.  Even with all those bad shots, I always find a way to have a few “perfect” shots.  The ones that feel good, look good, and ultimately get results.  Those swings feel natural and so easy.  Why can’t I do this on every shot?  Maybe I can.  Those shots keep you in the game.  They keep you motivated to work hard and improve.

A school year feels the same way.  You scramble to survive.  There are moments where you feel ineffective and as though you have no impact on your students.  There are moments where you are effective but not inspired.  Those moments are erased though when you see students engaged and making connections.  They are erased when you see students growing in confidence.  They are erased when a student asks an amazing question.  They are erased when a student says thank you.  They are erased when old students come back to share how much you helped them.  Those are the moments to hold onto.  They keep you motivated to work hard and improve.

A mulligan in golf gives you a second chance.  Your original shot does not count, and you are free to adjust your swing based on what you did wrong.  Your next shot is usually an improvement.  In teaching, you may not be able to erase those aforementioned tough moments but you always have opportunities to improve.  Teachers take mulligans all the time.  If a lesson does not go well, you reteach it.  If a unit does not go well, you replan it.  

Ultimately, golf and teaching both always leave room for improvement.  There are always strokes you left out there - an errant tee shot or a missed putt.  No matter how well you play, you always leave a round with a little disappointment that you could and should have done better.  That disappointment motivates you to practice and work to improve though.  There’s always some part of your game that you can work on.  As a teacher, it does not matter how great a lesson or an entire school year went.  There are always areas to work on and improve.  I love the cycle of planning, teaching, reflecting, and then doing it all again based on the new knowledge and experience I gained.  As long as I continue to enjoy that process, I will continue to teach.  I hope blogging will accelerate my growth within that process.

Let's Do This

I already attempted blogging a few years back.  The summer is a great time to begin those types of projects that I never see through once the school year begins.  This time will be different though.  After 8 years of teaching, I have gained a lot of confidence and comfort in my teaching.  At the same time, I am still very far from the teacher I want to be.  I’ve “stolen” lots of ideas from teachers on twitter in the past.  It’s time to put my ideas out there and really engage with all the great teachers out there.  Becoming an active member of the math twitter and blog community will push me in new ways.  It will allow me to reflect and receive feedback.  I’m excited to work with teachers that are equally passionate about teaching math.