What to Do on the First Day of Math Class
I am an active member of several Facebook groups for middle school math teachers. I love being able to share my experience and learn a few new things in the process. A trending topic seems to be what to do on the first day of math class.
Here is the Facebook post that inspired this article.
Long division! Are you kidding me?
Why would you want to lose your students on the first day? You only get one chance to set the tone for your class. Make it exciting, engaging, fun, and new!
I don’t know of any 6th grader, after yet another lesson on long division, that will think - WOW! I can’t wait to go back to math class tomorrow.
My high school algebra teacher, Mr. Jensen, who became a mentor once I started teaching, said something to me years ago that I will never forget, “Do something on the first day of math class that they have never seen before.”
For your next first day of math class, leave a lasting positive impression by:
Playing upbeat music as students are entering and exiting the classroom.
Planing something they have never seen before (keep reading for specific ideas).
Wearing a fun math-themed t-shirt.
Sharing a funny math or summer vacation-related comic (I usually have this projected on the front screen). Here are some images to get you started.
Telling a stupid or funny math-related joke. Here are a few.
Exhibiting an energetic love for teaching, your students, and math.
Engaging students in a fun get-to-know-each-other game.
Playing a fun math-related game - a great non-worksheet way to review skills.
It’s important not to get bogged down in the details the first day back. Don’t:
Go over classroom rules, policies, and procedures. There will be time for this later.
Hand out your classroom supply list - this too can keep a day or two.
Review a skill they should have mastered in a previous grade level.
Start class with a boring and difficult task like long division!
Here are some ideas for the first-day lesson plans that I found to be successful.
Olympics! When the summer games are in full swing in years like this one, you can use real data to cover standards. Possible standards include: statistics, data analysis, and rounding decimals just to name a few. One year I created games for my students to compete in and graph their results as well.
Games! Whether you choose some simple games that review skills students have already learned or pick something new and challenging, most students enjoy playing games. I especially loved introducing students to multicultural math games. This was usually something new to my students and helped them realize math is enjoyed worldwide. Here’s a good resource for teachers on this. Of course, Games by Absolute Zero have to be at the top of my list for fun math games! 😊
By far, my favorite, most successful, and most memorable (according to my students) was our M&M lab. Students were given a full-size bag of M&M’s as well as a TI-73 graphing calculator. Candy is always a big hit with kids, but my 7th graders were very engaged with the use of the TI-73s. They like being told using a calculator in math was OK. They liked the challenges that came with learning something new. One of my students proudly shared, “I was able to help my sister with her graphing calculator, and she’s in high school!”
Geometry offers many opportunities for novel engagement while still teaching your standards. Check out the free GeoGebra site. GeoGebra is an interactive geometry, algebra, statistics, and calculus application, intended for learning and teaching mathematics and science from primary school to university level. GeoGebra is available on multiple platforms, with apps for desktops, tablets, and the web.
Although I usually save my Math & Art unit for later in the year during standardized testing, a few of the projects are demonstrated on my youtube channel would be great first-day lessons.
Hopefully, this article has inspired you to do something new, different, and fun this year for your student’s first day of math class. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
I’d love for you to share your success and struggles with me betsy@gamesbyabsolutezero.com
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A few of my favorite math things - available on Amazon.
