Author: timefliesedu

Math teacher dedicated to sharing teacher tips, ideas and resources.

Solving Equations in Algebra

In Algebra, teachers tend to start completely over with solving equations as if the students have never seen equations before. Students have been solving equations for a while at this point. I thought it would be nice to take a look at a few questions from the state assessments in Texas to show what the students should know before coming to Algebra. I am a stickler for understanding what students should already know before they get to me and what they will learn after my class. This helps us to know what and how to teach certain content. My advice to all new math teachers: Do not get stuck in one math subject. Move around above and below where you like to be so that you understand fully what students have learned and will learn. Take a look at the questions below to get an idea of what they are tested on in 6th and 7th grades:

2019 6th Grade Math STAAR Test – By the end of sixth grade, students should be able to set up one-step equations and solve them.
2019 7th Grade Math STAAR Test – By the end of 7th grade, students should be able to solve 2-step equations.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with reviewing the material. If you read my last post about Algebraic Expressions, you learned that I still review this every year. I do think this means that we should not spend too much time covering material that they should already know. The Pandemic has caused some issues with learning gaps, so it’s important that we recognize that we might have to review, refresh and even reteach. Continue to look at the next set of problems to see the progression:

2019 8th Grade Math STAAR Test – By the end of 8th grade, students should be able to solve equations that have variables on both sides of the equal.
2019 Algebra Math STAAR Test
2019 Algebra Math STAAR Test

It’s obvious by the time students finish Algebra, they should be able to solve multi-step equations with variables on both sides that contain the distributive property and might contain decimals or even fractions. It is very important that students understand how to check their answers. If the test is multiple choice, they will be able to get the answer correct by plugging in the answer choices. (I don’t like that, but before the STAAR test I make sure they know all the tricks and tips.)

My progression on teaching students how to solve equations goes like this:

  • Review solving one- and two-step equations. Discuss how an x is really 1x. Discuss inverse operations.
  • Practice checking solutions.
  • Use the distributive property in equations. Show students how to distribute and other alternate methods depending on the look of the problem.
  • Solve problems with variables on both sides. Use combining like terms.
  • Solve more complicated multi-step equations.
  • Solve equations with decimals and fractions. Teach students to clear decimals and fractions. (This is a skill that will come in handy on the college entrance exams.)
  • Solve equations that have no solution or infinite solutions.
  • Setting up and solving equations from word problems.

You may end up spending more time in this area than you planned, but think about how much it will help the students in other areas. If they have a good foundation of solving equations with one variable, then solving inequalities, literal equations, linear functions, quadratic functions and exponential functions will be much easier.

The progression that I discussed earlier is contained in some lessons that you will see below. I bundled this material in a comprehensive unit that contains:

  • Expressions
  • Solving Multi-step Equations
  • Special situation in Equations (no solution, infinite solutions, clearing decimals and fractions)
  • Writing and Solving Equations
  • Equation Assessments
  • Inequalities
  • Literal equations

This will be what I’ll use this year in my Algebra classes. All of these activities come with a PowerPoint for notes, a PDF packet with notes, practice and a quiz. There are also a few digital activities dispersed among the resources. Good Luck and remember how important it is to give your math students a strong foundation!

Here’s how I start with solving equations.
A look at special situations.
Students must know how to set up equations.
This is a variety of assessment options.

The Whole UNIT!!!

Algebraic Expressions

By the time students are in algebra, they should have experience with algebraic expressions. I never feel comfortable enough with this fact, so I always start the year with a refresher. Expressions are the building blocks of algebra, so it’s better to cover this topic and make sure students have a good foundation before heading into solving equations.

As I begin the year, I like to review operations with integers and rational numbers, order of operations, expressions and terminology. Terminology is key. Students must know what you are talking about when you use words such as like terms, coefficients, variables, distribute and constants. Also, never assume students know things like a fraction is really a division problem and all numbers have exponents of 1 when no other exponent is visible. Get all of this taken care of in the beginning and you will find out really quickly who has these foundational skills and who doesn’t. I will not get the calculator out until after all of this material has been covered.

Here’s the content that I like to make sure to cover during the expression lesson:

  • Setting up expressions from phrases like: five less than twice a number
  • Evaluating expressions by plugging in a number for a variable. It’s important to review order of operations at this point.
  • Simplifying expressions using combining like terms and distributive property.
  • Using applications with expressions.

If students are able to do the 4 items above, they will be in a good position for success when moving to solving equations. I will probably take a week to practice expressions, but I feel like this is time well spent.

My lesson plan will look something like this – (I’m on a block schedule, so I see my students 80 minutes two days and 50 minutes on Friday.)

Day 1:

  • Bell Ringer – Operations with Integers
  • Math Terminology
  • Expression Opener
  • Setting Up Expressions
  • Evaluating Expressions

Day 2:

  • Bell Ringer – Operations with Rational Numbers
  • Simplifying Expressions
  • Practice Writing, Evaluating and Simplifying with a Partner
  • Application with Expressions – Digital Practice

Day 3:

  • Quizizz Activity – (I have a Quizizz Activity that practices the skills used in the application activity.)
  • Quiz – Short quiz that will let me know how well the students understand the concept.

I have a resource that covers all of this material. The expressions lesson that I created has a PowerPoint that goes through the terminology and example problems. I like students taking notes and following along, so I have note pages that follow the PowerPoint.

Expression PowerPoint
Note Page Example

The lesson comes with a practice page that contains 12 problems covering the three categories: writing expressions, evaluating expressions and simplifying expressions. The quiz has a section where students fill in terminology and the rest of the problems are multiple choice for quick grading.

The application part of this activity is a Google Slides where students show that they understand what an expression is versus equations or inequalities. Students then see some perimeter problems where the dimensions are expressions. Students solve the problems two ways. There is a video tutorial that walks students through simplifying some expressions with the distributive method.

Expressions are the foundation of Algebra. Students start learning expressions early in their math classes, but variables are an abstract concept and tend to be something difficult for them. The more we expose our students to understanding the purpose of a variable, the better they will grasp it. Give your classes lots of examples of how expressions might be used and keep checking for understanding. See if they can come up with their own examples. If they can create their own expressions and tie it to a real-life concept, then you know they have made the leap to understanding this idea.

If you’d like to look further into my Expression Lesson, I have linked it to the picture below. Thank you for going through this thought process with me and good luck with your students.

6 Ways to Keep Your Teaching Life Under Control

You have a ton of assignments to grade, data to decipher, forms to fill out, professional development requirements, students to manage, a club you sponsor and a curriculum to cover. You are drowning and something has got to give. Let’s talk about way to keep your teaching life under control.

Teachers are multitaskers and that’s great, but are you spreading yourself to thin? Your home life does not need to be sacrificed to keep your school life organized. It’s time to get efficient and swim on top of the water! I’ve got some suggestions that will help you manage your responsibilities more easily.

Get a piece of paper and write down what you do on a daily basis at school. Circle the things that need to be done during your planning period. Are you able to complete these tasks? Probably not all of them. There just isn’t enough time. Keep this list in front of you as you continue reading.

Before we get into how to organize your time, think about things that you do that can be eliminated completely. Do you volunteer for too many things? Do you do class activities that require too much prep? What can you start saying “no” to? Don’t feel guilty. Really think about the importance of the items on your list. Is everything on your list a MUST DO task? If not, mark it off and in the future think before signing on for something that is a time-suck.

Let’s get organized! Take a closer look at your list. Are all of these things done every day? Do you need to do some on certain days? I’d like you to organize your list into a weekly plan. You do not have to be detailed. Just jot down 3 – 6 things that have to get done during the week on certain days. Here’s a Google Sheets Planner to use if you’d like.

Congratulations. You have taken the first step toward getting your teaching life in order!

Keep your list handy so that you can check things off as you complete them. During your planning period, put your phone away and forget about it for 30 minutes. You will be amazed at what you can get done. If you tend to get sidetracked, then instead of putting your phone away, set your phone’s timer for 20 minutes and tell yourself that you have to work for 20 minutes before you can get up and do anything else. This works really well when you don’t like the task you are doing. You know you can take a break after 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes is up, then set your timer for 10 minutes and go get a drink or look at your phone or stretch and meditate!

If you need more time to accomplish your tasks you may need to consider some other options:

  • Can you come to school an hour earlier or stay an hour later?
  • Can you put the kids to bed and work an hour at night or get up earlier and work at home?

How do you plan out what you need to teach? This can take a ton of time. To make things go smoother, you will need to arrange a block of time for planning your curriculum. I suggest to plan it out six to nine weeks at a time. Put this information on a calendar and don’t worry about being detailed. Just seeing what you need to teach will take that part of the task off your plate until you plan again for the next block. This might take you a couple of hours, but you only have to do it every few months.

Is grading out of control for you? Do you really need to grade everything? Can the students grade their own work on occasion? Can assignments be graded for completion? Can you grade something quickly by walking around and putting a sticker on the paper and move on? Be creative. You truly do not have to grade every assignment. If you will decide ahead of time what needs to be graded and what does not, you will love your life!

So let’s recap.

  1. Say NO to things that take you away from what you REALLY need to do.
  2. Plan out your week by using a checklist system.
  3. Set a timer when working and stay on task. (Or just put that phone away).
  4. If you need more time, look for an hour here or there that won’t steal time from your family.
  5. Plan your curriculum in 6 – 9 week increments.
  6. Don’t grade everything.

I hope this helps you. Being able to check things off a list is the greatest thing ever.

I hope your stress level decreases and you love your job more and feel great about being so organized!

Good luck! If you are a secondary math teacher and you are interested in receiving tips and freebies, feel free to join my email list.

The Algebra STAAR Dilemma

With COVID still going strong, it’s hard to know how to prepare for the Algebra STAAR exam. Teachers are sick, students are sick, campuses are closing or going virtual. How do you deal with all of this? First, don’t put pressure on yourself. You can only do so much. You can plan and teach the students that are there. That’s it. You are an awesome teacher. Never forget that!

It’s 2022 and we are headed into the second semester of school. I’m wrapping up linear functions in a couple of weeks and I feel pretty far behind. My plan is to give myself at least three weeks before the test to review. I still need to cover exponentials and quadratics. How do I get all of this done? I like to get a calendar and put the test dates on it and mark off the three weeks of review. I look at my school calendar and make sure I know when spring break is and when the English I & II STAAR will be.

***You can get a copy of my planning calendar, so you can make it fit your needs. I’ll attach it at the bottom of this post.

Something new that I’m doing this year is focusing on the free response questions. I’ve created activities that will help students build confidence on the types of problems that they will see on the griddables or fill-in-the-blank problems. My students will take the online STAAR, so I’ve got this Boom Card Activity for them: Algebra STAAR Review Free Response Practice

If your students are taking the paper version of the test, here is the same activity in PDF form: Algebra STAAR Griddable Activity for Paper Version

Here is an outline of my plan. Remember to pick and choose what will work with your schedule!

  • End of Jan: Finish Systems
  • February: Exponent Rules, Geometric Sequences and Exponential Functions (some things in this unit you can omit).
  • Feb 28 – March 4: Algebra Task Cards (These are in the STAAR Bundle) as Bell Ringers or Opening Activity. Polynomials – Mainly multiplying binomials and refreshers on combining like terms and distributive property.
  • March 7 – 11: Continue Task Cards and Factoring
  • March 28 – April 8: Start Taking Task Card Timed Quizzes. Start quadratics using my objective 6, 7 and 8 resources from the Algebra I STAAR Bundle.
  • April 11 – 15: Continue with quadratics and do quick reviews of objectives 4 & 12 (combined these two objectives have only been 3 – 5 questions in the past)
  • April 18 – 22: Reviews of objectives 2, 3 and 9 – I’ll use my STAAR Bundle, but I will pick and choose what I want to use from these objectives. (Bell Ringers will be key features of graphs.)
  • April 25 – 29: Objectives 5, 10 and 11 – I’ll use my STAAR Bundle, but I will pick and choose what I want to use from these objectives. Bell Ringers will be Brain Dump Practice.

Here’s my calendar. Make a copy and then make it work for you!

When all is said and done, I’ll reflect and see how it went.

Please don’t stress out Algebra Teachers! Do what you can. Have a plan and work through the plan. Things will be fine. The students will do as well as they can and we will probably be pleasantly surprised at how well most of them will do. Remember that YOU ARE AWESOME!