Year 7: Children or Young Adults?

The final in a series of reflections about my first time experiences teaching a Year 7 mathematics class.

While the end-of-term survey showed that most of my Year 7 are enjoying or at least tolerating maths (let's be honest, many students don't like maths), some unexpected feedback appeared in the comments from several students: "Treat us like Year 7 instead of 5 year olds". When I first read this feedback I wondered if students were referring to the "fun lessons" we've been doing - which do sometimes look like primary school activities, even though they explore Year 7 content, but then I realised the comments probably reflected something deeper.

Is it possible I've been treating my Year 7 like small children without being aware of it?

How old is Spongebob Squarepants?  Spongebob definitely isn't a child - he sat his
 driving test 58 times.  Age estimates range from 13 to "50 sponge years".
And yes - my Year 7 class is slightly chaotic!

On the last day of term, I presented the summary of the feedback to the class and asked them, if they didn't mind, to help me understand the comments. They seemed surprised to see critical comments about my teaching so openly presented, but were keen to explain.  At first some students mentioned they found the maths too easy and that made it childish, but then some students told me that sometimes I talk down to them - and that opened the conversation up - clearly most students felt I was treating them like little kids.  I think it must have taken some courage to tell me this to my face and I'm very grateful to them. And they probably are right. Sometimes I take too much pleasure in the childish aspects of Year 7 - and play to it.  (Frustrated primary school teacher?) I asked the students: "So what should I do to treat you more like Year 7?"  I treasure the response: "Do what you're doing now - talk to us like this". I think it was the first time these students had seen a teacher share student feedback with them - and they were quite surprised how open I was to discussing how I could improve. And in return, they were being very mature in helping me understand their feedback.

So are Year 7 children or young adults? I think the answer is both - they have the amazing ability to be both childish and mature at the same time. Adding to the confusion is the wide range of physical size, behaviour and mathematical skill across the class. Then throw in the fact you've maybe just come from teaching a Year 11 class, where students are so much older - it's easy to get confused.  I'm guessing for the Year 7 students, who are going through the messy transition process from being the 'big kids' at primary school to the 'little kids' at high school, having a teacher talk down to you is not helpful. They want to feel they are in the adult world now.

I'm resolved next term to act as if my Year 7 class are all young adults - not children. And for the times they act more like children - well, I'll remember that last day of Term 1 when we talked together as adults about what constitutes good teaching.

I can't overstate how valuable getting student feedback on your teaching can be. See my post on Student Voice for details how I do it in ways to encourage constructive feedback and protect student anonymity, along with some resources you may wish to use for your own student surveys.

Year 7 Maths : Extreme Differentiation Needed?

This post is the second in a series of reflections on my first experience of teaching a Year 7 mathematics class.

I'm almost embarrassed to say it, but it's taken me almost ten weeks to realise the extreme variation of mathematical ability in my Year 7 class. I knew there were differences across students, but underestimated just how wide that range is. What made the scales drop from my eyes? A second round of summative assessment (topic tests) and feedback from the end of term anonymous class survey. And I don't think there's anything different in my Year 7 class to any other Year 7 class in a comprehensive school.

Staggering mathematical bio-diversity in Year 7!
© David Hall seaphotos.com Used with permission.

Here's an extract from the survey that demonstrates the challenge:

I've never seen such variation in any class I've surveyed in the past - and the student self-reported feedback matches the most recent round of test results - which ranged from 3/30 to 30/30. How devastating to self-confidence must it be to receive 3/30? I don't buy any argument this will encourage them to "try harder" - especially since "try harder" just won't help when the content and skills are so far ahead of where the student is now.

In a follow up session I explored this with the class and confirmed that the more mathematically advanced students are getting frustrated and feel like they are being treated like babies (the math is too easy), and that other students are struggling - which may explain some of the work avoidance patterns beginning emerge. Looking at primary school records (something I recommend all high school teachers do for their Year 7 students - and wish I had done earlier) revealed a vast range of difference in mathematics learning outcomes - some students have already mastered Year 7 outcomes (through tutoring?) and others are still mastering early Primary School mathematics.

Looking ahead, I'm thinking it's time to implement an SBG approach to assessment (as with my Year 8 class), but even that isn't enough: extreme differentiation is called for!  I've asked many experienced teaches for advice and here's what I'm going to try out next term:

Extreme Differentiation: Ideas for Term 2

• Design a pre-topic diagnostic that indicates student readiness for this topic. I've come to realise I need to design my own diagnostic test - the standard "Are you ready?" diagnostics in the textbooks aren't always up to scratch!
• Communicate the result of the pre-topic diagnostic for this topic to the student. I'm keeping in mind that a student who is not ready for, say, algebra, may well be ready for geometry.
• Keep a copy of the pre-topic diagnostic on file. I need to be able to justify why I offered this student the option to work on different, easier material.
• Differentiate the topic into three levels: Essentials, Development and Challenge. The Essentials level will also include material from earlier 'stages' of mathematics (ie: some primary school material).  I'm considering using an easier text book for the Essentials material.
• Course material will contain a level indicator: one star for Essentials, two stars for Development, three stars for Challenge. Each lesson and each assessment tool will offer students material at each level.
• Offer students the option to select the level they want to work at in the topic. I believe most students will make the appropriate choice. More advanced students will be able to skip the Essentials and go straight to Development and Challenge. Of course I'll be watching for what happens, and encourage students making the wrong choice to consider the alternatives.
• Class summative assessments will report marks for each level the student attempted.

In the final post of this series, I'll consider the question  "Year 7: Children or Young Adults?"

Having too much fun with Year 7?

Year 7 in my state (NSW, Australia) is the first year at high school (USA: middle school). Students are aged 12-13 yrs. This is the first in a series of three posts where I reflect on the experience of teaching my first full time Year 7 class.

During my first (ever) term with my Year 7 class, I was keen to create a positive learning environment for students starting on the long journey that is high school mathematics. Like most keen-and-eager new teachers, I didn't take the "start out tough with them" advice of more experienced teachers and I eagerly tried many ideas  to make maths more engaging than perhaps traditional approaches take. To give full credit to my teachers at university, they did caution us to use balance and wisdom - and not to overdo the 'creative' lessons.

Adapted from http://www.alex99.co.nr/
Alex99's free Sponge Bob screensaver

At the end of the first term, I think we do have a happy and positive class - but after analysing test results, looking over student exercise books and thinking carefully about the student feedback from the end of term anonymous survey, I'm asking myself: Have I actually been helping my Year 7 students develop good habits? Have I been reinforcing the need to apply effort to their mathematics? Remember Andrew Martin's critical factors for building academic success: Effort, Attitude and Strategy. I think I've been helping with the attitude and the strategy - but probably neglecting the effort. I'm coming to the conclusion that not following enough traditional techniques undermines the effort aspect - and in so doing, I risk undermining academic outcomes. We have been doing "real" maths, but at least some of the class isn't doing enough of it.

Encouraging Effort Strategies for Term 2:

• Be explicit about the role of effort in improving academic outcomes.
• Ensure most lessons to have a 15 minute "working silently" component - with an option on the board for those who don't have books (a perennial problem that causes distractions and chaos).
• Provide a clear and explicit message about homework: keep it reasonable (15 mins per lesson), keep it consistent (every lesson).
• Seating-plan based observation sheet to check and reinforce text books, exercise books, Homework.

I'm not intending to abandon the fun lessons - but temper them with calmer lesson segments where the focus is on application of effort and practice.


A Seating-Plan Based Observation Sheet

Here's an idea I developed in the last few weeks to help me be more organised in my Year 7 class - something I can find very difficult when there are so many students asking for attention.

Idea for a seating-plan based observation sheet

The idea is to make a pad of these and put them in a clipboard which I carry as I walk around the class. A very quick set of ticks as I move allows me to record: who is present (no need to do separate roll call), who has brought books to class (and reinforce the message it's important), who has made an effort at the homework (and reinforce the message it's important), as well as allow a spot survey across the class who is on-task and who is off-task. I'm thinking if I can do all this on one sheet, then I can quickly collate some notes from it at the end of the day. (Darn it I want an iPad :-)  I'll try this out for a few weeks and if it works I'll publish the template.

Beyond the Effort issue, an even more pressing factor has become prominent with my Year 7 class - a vast difference in mathematical skill levels - and how I need to do a radical overhaul of my teaching with this class to accommodate it. But that's for the next post.