Contents of My Backpack
The Contents of My Backpack
Jesse Briar
Georgian Court University
Although I am only at the beginning of my teaching career, I feel as if I have many things already stowed away in my Dakine green, black, and white plaid backpack. My items are similar to Mr. Goldman’s items in that they have very little to do with the topics that I teach but are able to transform my classroom environment, stay along the guidelines of time management, and allow students to learn at their own pace. The items that I have in my backpack include: a Nerf basketball, wireless mouse, pens and pencils with colorful erasers, 3 ring hole punch, dollar store multi colored star stickers, a small bust of George Washington, and a mustache mug. Not all of these items are essential teaching tools but some of them are used so frequently that I could include them in my curriculum. The Nerf basketball is used just about every day in my math class, it helps me get volunteers for questions, provides a reward to students, and encourages others to be supportive of their classmates. The last two coincide with a game I stole from a teacher in the district high school called ‘Math-sketball’. It’s a simple game where everyone works out the problem on the board and after the buzzer counts down students need to have their answer written on their scorecard. Those students who answer correctly get to line up for a free throw shot with the basketball, students cheer each other on to make the basket and if a student misses, classmates are there with words of encouragement. This mini failure of missing a shot and the support of their classmates to try again next time is important for the students. I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math students in a Resource Room at a middle school.
The wireless mouse allows me to use the technology in the room without being plastered to the wall which would allow students to get distracted with other things going on in the room or outside the windows. I am able
Jesse Briar
Georgian Court University
Although I am only at the beginning of my teaching career, I feel as if I have many things already stowed away in my Dakine green, black, and white plaid backpack. My items are similar to Mr. Goldman’s items in that they have very little to do with the topics that I teach but are able to transform my classroom environment, stay along the guidelines of time management, and allow students to learn at their own pace. The items that I have in my backpack include: a Nerf basketball, wireless mouse, pens and pencils with colorful erasers, 3 ring hole punch, dollar store multi colored star stickers, a small bust of George Washington, and a mustache mug. Not all of these items are essential teaching tools but some of them are used so frequently that I could include them in my curriculum. The Nerf basketball is used just about every day in my math class, it helps me get volunteers for questions, provides a reward to students, and encourages others to be supportive of their classmates. The last two coincide with a game I stole from a teacher in the district high school called ‘Math-sketball’. It’s a simple game where everyone works out the problem on the board and after the buzzer counts down students need to have their answer written on their scorecard. Those students who answer correctly get to line up for a free throw shot with the basketball, students cheer each other on to make the basket and if a student misses, classmates are there with words of encouragement. This mini failure of missing a shot and the support of their classmates to try again next time is important for the students. I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math students in a Resource Room at a middle school.
The wireless mouse allows me to use the technology in the room without being plastered to the wall which would allow students to get distracted with other things going on in the room or outside the windows. I am able