One thing that happens in my classroom that's unique is the emphasis that we place on grit and community. Grit is the determination to keep moving forward even when there's obstacles...to always have a goal that you're working towards and to work towards that goal through anything that happens in life.
In my classroom we are gritty together as a community. We work through math problems together. We help each other. We grow together. We support each other. We dream together. We are a family together. To foster transformational change we need to all rise up together.
A second unique part of my classroom is the focus on college and the expectation that all students will attend college. Throughout the year students take five practice ACT math tests (one at the start of the year and one at the end of each quarter). I also plan to have various weeks during the year where the lessons are all on ACT material and provide a refresher on previous math courses (algebra I, geometry) that are part of the ACT. During these ACT weeks I plan to place particular emphasis on word problems, something a fair number of my students struggle with. An additional part of my focus on college is that whenever we do a review game (about once every two weeks) student teams choose their college team name. Doing this gives students a reminder at least a few times a month that the focus for our class is developing the skills and abilities that will make students successful in college and beyond.
A third unique part of my classroom is the emphasis on STEM careers. Every week I aim to provide students with information on STEM careers related to the subject we're learning about. This allows students to explore future possibilities and understand how math relates to the real world.
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