9thGradeConversationofLearning

Whatareyourthoughtsonthisyearsstructuresinmathclass(openended
problems,groupwork,discussions,writing)?

l
i
k
e
havi
ng
open
endi
ng
pr
obl
ems
because
i
t

pushes
my
t
hi
nki
ng
and
gi
ves
me
t
he
chance
t
o
wor
k
wi
t
h
ot
her

peopl
e
and
see
t
hei
r

per
spect
i
ve
on
t
he
pr
obl
em.

Whydoyouthinkwepushedsomuchongroupworkandcreatingaclassroom
culture?

Many
peopl
e
i
n
our

cl
ass
don
t

speak
up
and
t
al
k
ver
y
much.

t
hi
nk
gr
oup
wor
k
gi
ves
t
hem
a
chance
t
o
speak
t
hei
r

mi
nd,

and
i
f

not
,

we
have
l
eader
s
t
o
get

t
hem
i
nvol
ved.

Havi
ng
a
saf
e
cl
assr
oom
cul
t
ur
e
i
s
basi
cal
l
y
l
et
t
i
ng
t
he
shy
st
udent
s
know
t
hat

i
t

i
s
okay
t
o
speak
and
gi
ve
your

t
hought
s/
answer
s
even
i
f

t
hey'
r
e
wr
ong.

Whatisyourgreateststrengthasagroupmember?Whatisanareaofgrowth
withingroupwork?

t
hi
nk
my
gr
eat
es
t

st
r
engt
h
i
s
l
et
t
i
ng
peopl
e
know
i
t
s
okay
t
o
speak.

l
i
ke
t
o
encour
age
t
hem
t
o
speak
i
n
f
r
ont

of

t
hei
r

peer
s,

and
I

l
ove
t
o
t
each
ot
her
s
who
don'
t

under
st
and
t
he
concept
.

An
ar
ea
I

can
gr
ow
i
n
gr
oupwor
k
i
s
aski
ng
mor
e
quest
i
ons.

ask
i
f

my
peer
s
who
don
t

under
st
and
i
f

t
hey
have
quest
i
ons,

but

shoul
d
st
ar
t

doi
ng
t
hat

mor
e
t
han
I

do
t
o
get

t
hem
t
o
st
ar
t

t
al
ki
ng.

Howdoyouthinkyourclassmatesviewyouasastudent?Groupmember?
Mathematician?Howdoyouwantthemtoviewyou?

f
eel

as
i
f

my
gr
oup
member

and
cl
assmat
es
vi
ew
me
as
a
l
eader
.

am
one
of

t
he
t
op
t
hr
ee
peopl
e
who
t
al
k
and
shar
e
i
n
cl
ass.

am
al
ways
t
her
e
t
o
hel
p
ot
her
s,

and
I

v
e
been
t
ol
d
I

am
a
gr
eat

t
eacher
.

t
hi
nk
how
t
hey
vi
ew
me
now,

i
s
a
gr
eat

way
t
o
be
vi
ewed
because
I

want

my
cl
assmat
es
t
o
know
t
hat

am
t
her
e
t
o
hel
p
t
hem.

What

wer
e
some
of

t
he
chal
l
enges
you
encount
er
ed
i
n
mat
h
cl
ass
t
hi
s
semest
er

(
i
t

does
not

have
t
o
be
about

mat
h
concept
s)
?
What

wer
e
some
moment
s
you
wer
e
pr
oud
of
?

st
r
uggl
ed
wi
t
h
t
he
const
r
uct
i
ons
uni
t

because
I

hat
ed
usi
ng
t
he
compass.

f
eel

l
i
ke
t
hat

was
t
he
l
ongest

uni
t

and
i
t

was
j
ammed
packed.

Once
I

st
ar
t
ed
t
o
under
st
and,

t
he
day
of

t
he
t
est

came
and
I

bl
anked
out
.

ended
up
get
t
i
ng
a
14/
20,

a
C
.

Af
t
er

st
udyi
ng
as
har
d
as
I

can,

r
et
ook
t
he
t
est

and
got

a
B+.

I
t

wasn
t

t
he
best

gr
ade
I

coul
d
ve
got
t
en,

but

at

l
east

r
ai
sed
i
t
!

A
good
moment

woul
d
have
t
o
be
t
hi
s
past

uni
t

because
I

f
eel

l
i
ke
I

under
st
ood
i
t

t
he
best

out

of

t
he
ot
her

uni
t
s.

was
abl
e
t
o
hel
p
many
cl
assmat
es
who
di
dn
t

under
st
and.

Tel
l

me
about

some
goal
s
you
have
f
or

next

semest
er
.

Some
goal
s
I

hav
e
f
or

next

semest
er

woul
d
have
t
o
be
j
ust

t
r
yi
ng
my
best
.

I
f

don
t

under
st
and
somet
hi
ng,

pr
omi
se
t
o
come
t
o
af
t
er

school

t
ut
or
i
ng
t
o
be
abl
e
t
o
l
ear
n
mor
e
t
han
I

know.

What

wi
l
l

you
do
t
o
make
sur
e
t
o
f
ol
l
ow
t
hr
ough
wi
t
h
t
hese
goal
s?

To
f
ol
l
ow
t
hr
ough
wi
t
h
t
hese
goal
s,

woul
d
have
t
o
set

up
dat
es
t
o
meet

up
wi
t
h
Mr
.

Aur
mon
and
end
up
goi
ng
t
o
af
t
er

school

t
ut
or
i
ng
at

l
east

once
a
week
i
f

don
t

under
st
and
t
he
uni
t
.

Any
addi
t
i
onal

t
hought
s
or

comment
s
on
t
he
year

t
hus
f
ar
?

ma
ver
y
pr
oud
of

mysel
f

t
hi
s
semest
er

because
I

f
eel

t
he
cl
assr
oom
cul
t
ur
e
we
shar
e
i
s
s
af
e
enough
f
or

me
t
o
shar
e
my
t
hought
s
even
i
f

t
hey'
r
e
wr
ong.

have
vol
unt
eer
ed
many
t
i
mes
t
o
show
my
wor
k

even
i
f

wasn
t

al
l

t
hat

comf
or
t
abl
e
due
t
o
t
he
answer
.

f
eel

as
i
f

have
gr
own
i
n
my
c
onf
i
dence
i
n
mat
h.

Wr
i
t
e
at

l
east

one
quest
i
on
you
have
f
or

me
(
I

encour
age
you
t
o
wr
i
t
e
mor
e!
)
.

How
do
you
t
hi
nk
t
he
cl
assr
oom
cul
t
ur
e
i
s
i
n
mat
h?
I
s
t
her
e
anyt
hi
ng
you
can
do
t
o
mak
e
i
t

bet
t
er
?