As much as I feel prepared and organized in August, by the end of September (usually ~ week 6 of school), I feel like the wheels are coming off the train, the control for the brake has broken, and I am hurdling non-stop into the school year.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the ride! But, sometimes … whew! I can only imagine how the students’ feel. I have to keep reminding myself that writing and reflecting about their thinking, their learning, and their math problem solving skills is all new. As tired as I am from grading, they are tired from trying. We need to support each other.
I wanted to share some of the feedback I give to students as they are learning to journal and write reflectively. I’m including some samples from my “regular” PreCalculus class and Honors PreCalculus class. I tried to include a mix of students who need a lot of coaching and students who really get it.
(PS – I never write comments in red ink – just seems to “judge-y.”
Each week, in addition to all my other grading and prep, I’m offering feedback to ~100 journals. I’m not going to lie, it’s sometimes exhausting. But it’s gems like this that make me eager for next week:
Write Angles in Math 