Grade 7 Class

It’s Friday afternoon, and I spent time in a grade 7 class, watching them do math and French. The classroom teacher (Ms. La Prairie) was working with some grade 7 students on a few tech projects related to year end. The class has a student teacher (Ms. Shives) and she was doing most of the teaching.

I find grade 7 math fascinating. The class was working on developing their understanding of geometry. Students were using geoboards to explore Cartesian coordinates and create translations and reflections of a variety of shapes.

What I find most fascinating about grade 7 math class is how 30 students can be given the same lesson, asked to start their work at the same time, and 10 minutes later, some students are almost finished and some are just starting question 1 (a).

Parents often wonder why their child has so much homework. In some cases, they may not have been given as much time in class as might have been needed. In other cases, some students focus more on socializing than on their assigned work. Ms. Shives and I spent the work portion of the class making our way around the class, answering questions for those who were focused, and encouraging others to get past question #1. Some of the students will definitely be having more math homework than others.

As a Principal, I feel that getting into the classes is very important. It keeps me connected to the classrooms, and allows me to see what the students are learning. If I can, I like to sometimes take a class and free up a teacher to do other work. Today, I was able to witness a student teacher developing her craft, and it was a pleasure to watch.

The day has now come to a close. Students have gone home, and teachers are locking up. Have a great weekend.

Take care.