Curious Facts and Interesting Truths

1. Why don't we use our textbooks daily and send them home for homework?
2. How is our homework graded?
3. How much time is spent in school on math?
4. How old did you say the teacher is?
5. How is origami useful to math?

Why don't we use our textbooks daily and send them home for homework?

I teach what the North Carolina Department of Public Education requires for 
each grade, not what the textbook manufacturers say is needed at each grade 
level. Thus, I pull from a variety of resources to get lessons and practice 
problems. I usually prefer to teach using the board or projector rather than 
have students read through the busy pages of the math text. I want to see 
their faces and interact with them throughout the learning process. Reading 
often puts the students to sleep, especially when reading numeric examples.

Visit the state's website for your own knowledge about what your student 
should know by the end of her/his grade. Look for the Standard Course of 
Study and your student's grade level.  http://www.dpi.state.nc.us

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How is our homework graded?

Homework is graded just as tests and quizzes are, i.e., each question is 
assigned a number of points and the score reflects the ratio of points 
correct over total points. However, quizzes and tests are weighted more than 
homework in the quarter grade.
NOTE: Homework turned in one day late = 70% plus half the difference of the 
actual grade. (See an explanation on my 'Homework' page.) MISSING WORK OR 
WORK TURNED IN AFTER THE ONE DAY GRACE PERIOD = 0%.

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How much time is spent in school on math?

We have forty minute classes - not much time! We also have math just four 
days a week. Most of our class time is spent learning new concepts as 
quickly as possible in order to cover the required content within our 
school year. It would be very, very helpful to have students work at home on 
multiplication facts, dividing numbers with and without remainders, working 
with fractions and decimals, and other number skills which we review in the 
beginning of the school year (and forgotten how soon?) Check out some of the 
websites listed under Links for practice problems and games which reinforce 
the skills. 
You may also borrow a textbook to use at home or purchase inexpensive 
booklets at your favorite bookstore.

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How old did you say the teacher is?

39 plus X

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How is origami useful to math?

Number one, origami teaches patience, the type of patience needed to 
complete multiple step math problems. Children can learn to appreciate that, 
just because the first time you try to do the figure (or problem) you don't 
get a perfect model, that doesn't mean that with a second or third try you 
won't. In fact, students find that a second or third model is very fine and 
this is true for learning math concepts, too. 
There are also many concepts visualized in origami folding: symmetry of all 
kinds, patterning, fractions, angles, shapes, etc.

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