Ben Charleston AEMS Math

Today I continued to help out at AEMS for three blocks. The first block, a sixth grade block, reviewed for a test on fractions which they will take tomorrow. The second class, an eighth grade block, started a new unit on finding solutions to a system of equations through various methods such as substitution, graphing, and elimination. Finally, the third block, an eighth grade Algebra I class, started a new unit on polynomials. The homework that was due today is pictured above. While the work is simple, these concepts are essential for later math classes, and therefore it is crucial that students have a thorough understanding of the material. I have realized that in all three of these classes that each student is different and two students may require a different explanation to understand the same problem. Overall I have enjoyed my work at AEMS and look forward to many more fun, but challenging, days! Hours today: 3 Total hours: 6

Today was my first day of senior project, and everything went as I expected. Since it was my first day, I mainly tried to get to know the students in the classes. In one of the classes, the Algebra one class, I already knew all of the kids because I helped out with the class in the fall. However, in the other two classes, I only knew a few people which made getting to know the students essential. After getting to know the students, I assisted some kids with a worksheet that was to be completed in class. It was interesting for me to work with both sixth graders and eighth graders because they understood thing in different ways. This forced me to adapt the way in which I explained an answer from class to class. Also, even though these math topics are not difficult for me, I do have to review the next day’s work for about 30 minutes each night to ensure that I can explain it to someone. One thing I learned today is that knowing something is completely different than teaching it to somebo...