• What: Done before a unit or at the beginning of the school year

• Why: To find out what students already know! This will help me gauge how much time I may need to spend on a topic.

• How: Use short, simple tasks that require basic knowledge on concepts

• Example: “Write everything you know about angles.”

  
  

🔹 Formative Assessment

• What: Done during a unit

• Why: To check understanding and guide teaching. This can help me see if I need to reteach concepts or give more examples.

• How: Use exit tickets, group work, or class discussions

• Example: After a lesson on the Pythagorean Theorem, students explain the rule in their own words.

  
  

🔹 Summative Assessment

• What: Done after a unit

• Why: To evaluate overall learning

• How: Use quizzes, projects, or performance tasks

• Example: Create a poster showing how to solve right triangles using sine and cosine.

Simple Explanation: Students show what they are thinking. What steps they used, ideas they had, etc.

Example: “I used to think… Now I think…” helps reveal how their understanding changed.

🔹 Catch Misconceptions

Simple Explanation: Helps teachers see what’s unclear

Example: A student says, “You can use SOH CAH TOA on any triangle” is good opportunity to correct!

🔹 Student Reflection

Simple Explanation: Encourages students to think about their learning and recognize where they may need additional improvement

Example: At the end of a lesson, students write a headline: “Trig ratios are shortcuts to solve triangles!”

Additional Ideas: https://www.nctm.org/Publications/TCM-blog/Blog/Transforming-the-Culture-of-Math_-Routines-for-Making-Thinking-Visible/

• Simple Explanation: Make a concept map to organize ideas

• Example: Students list and group key ideas in trigonometry, like “right triangles,” “sine,” “angle,” and “ratios.”

• This will show me how the students connect different topics together, and I can have them explain WHY things connect

🔹 Routine: I used to think… Now I think…

• Simple Explanation: Shows learning progress

• Example: “I used to think pi was only for circles. Now I think it’s also used in radians.”

• Reflections bring more thoughtfulness to students and help them recognize their progress and how their thinking has changed

• Simple Explanation: A 4-box chart (definition, example, non-example, picture)

• Example: Use it for “rational number” — definition in one box, examples in another, etc.

• Extremely helpful for students to see examples and non-examples to know how to recognize different mathematical situations

🔹 Venn Diagrams

• Simple Explanation: Show similarities and differences

• Example: Compare sine and cosine functions — where are they the same, where do they differ?

🔹 T-Charts

• Simple Explanation: Compare two things side by side

• Example: Sine Rule vs. Cosine Rule — when to use each one

• T-charts are used for graphs, so being familiar with using it for comparisons and functions can grow confidence in using t-charts

• Follows a clear process (identify slope, y-intercept, graph it)

• Easy to check each step for errors

• Students can apply it to real life (money, time, distance)

• Assessment Tip: Look for accurate graphs, correct equations, and interpretation of slope.

• Example: Students design and compare cell phone plans using graphs and explain which one is better in different situations.

🔹 Trigonometry

• Has step-by-step problem-solving (identify triangle type, choose rule, solve)

• Visual and measurable progress (diagrams, real measurements)

• Easy for students to get peer or teacher help on solving right and non-right triangles

• Assessment Tip: Check correct rule use (SOHCAHTOA, sine rule, cosine rule), diagram labeling, and justification.

• Example: Students use angles and distances to find the height of buildings and compare their results.

🔹 Geometry (especially area, volume, and scale drawing)

• Students follow formulas and logical steps

• Can create real-world models or drawings

• Errors are easy to spot (incorrect calculations or scale)

• Assessment Tip: Check use of correct formula, accuracy in drawings, and explanation of choices.

• Example: Students redesign a classroom or playground to scale, calculating space used and presenting a proposal.

What it means:
Helping students explain their thinking clearly — in writing, out loud, with visuals, or by showing steps.

How I build it now:

• I ask students to explain how they got their answers, not just show the final number.

• I use “Think-Pair-Share” — students think on their own, then talk to a partner, then we discuss as a class.

• I have students write short reflections after solving a problem: “What did I do? Why did it work?”

Example:
After solving a word problem using the Pythagorean Theorem, students explain each step as if teaching it to someone else.

Future ideas:

• Start using math journals where students write regularly about what they’re learning.

• Use sentence starters to help students talk more confidently (e.g., “I noticed…”, “I figured out…”, “I was confused about…”).

🔹 Self-Management Skills

What it means:
Helping students stay organized, work independently, manage their time, and keep going when things get tough.

How I build it now:

• I give clear checklists for big projects so students know what to do and in what order.

• I break work into smaller chunks with short deadlines to help students manage their time.

• I model how to use strategies like highlighting important information or crossing out wrong answers.

Example:
During a multi-day math task, students get a progress sheet where they check off each part they’ve completed (like drawing diagrams, showing work, writing explanations).

Future ideas:

• Give more time for goal setting at the beginning of a unit (“What do you want to get better at?”)

• Include mini-lessons on how to handle frustration or distractions.

🔹 Research Skills

What it means:
Helping students learn how to ask questions, find information, and apply it to real-world situations.

How I build it now:

• I do short investigations where students find math in everyday life (e.g., "What’s the safest form of transportation?" using data).

• I guide students to reliable sources for math facts and models.

• I ask students to create questions, not just answer them.

Example:
Students research different sports statistics and use averages or percentages to compare players.

Future ideas:

• Use more open-ended projects where students pick a math topic connected to something they’re interested in (like music, gaming, or fashion).

• Show students how to evaluate sources and explain where their information came from.