Mrs. Buzalsky's Page

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a new year! Let´s make it a great year of learning at River Homelink.  We will be  dissecting math and discovering what makes it TICK! I love teaching math, and my goal every year is to get my students to say "Hey, this is FUN!"   Many students hate to admit it, but I usually get SOME  who say it.  Our students will strengthen foundational skills to unlock their inner mathematician and become  stronger math students. We will employ strategies to combat ingrained math phobias and take the sting out of learning math.

We are using HMH Go Math! this year as our RHL math curriculum.  We chose this curriculum for its direct instructional approach and the easy access to teaching support materials for parents.

Go Math! is designed using the proven 5E instructional model, guiding students toward proficiency by building on their previous understanding of mathematical concepts. Go Math! is an easy-to-implement core curriculum with an effective instructional approach that includes robust differentiation and assessment resources that engage all levels of learners and support all levels of teachers, from novice to master. 

Using HMH Go Math!  We will expect to complete 2 lessons per week, using a variety of online resources to keep it interesting. 

You will have online components through Google Classroom,  IXL, as well as a WORKBOOK. 

Students will need a SPIRAL NOTEBOOK to complete assignments and take notes.

In CLASS:

Part 1: Warm up - Fact Fluency  using MathFactLab.com and multiple resources

     Often, the only difference between a confident math student and a discouraged, disengaged one is the ready access to those pesky multiplication facts. We will work a bit at the beginning of every class to strengthen fact fluency so our students can focus their energy on learning new concepts without struggling to remember basic facts. It's true, not everyone can memorize facts, but most can with a little effort and focus. For those who just can't, we will find coping strategies that will support them.

Part 2:  Class activities - we will NOT be doing EVERY activity in the Workbooks, but I will select one or two that focus on the Learning Goal.

     Classroom activities provide experience with new concepts and provide an opportunity to apply mathematics to a model or real world situation, resolve common mistakes or misconceptions and work toward mastery of a concept or procedure. These activities will involve vertical white boards and random grouping to encourage students to learn from each other and promote discussion.

AT HOME:

Part 3: Lesson Synthesis -  to be completed at home on student's non-attendance day

     Lesson synthesis gives an opportunity for students to incorporate new insights gained during the activities into their big-picture understanding. The at-home portion of the lesson should take about AN HOUR to complete. There will be VIDEOS TO SUPPORT each lesson on Google Classroom for students, and also provided here on this website for parents. 

     Practice will usually be a set of problems from the textbook or a worksheet, and a corresponding interactive practice set on IXL.  Please check your students' work for accuracy and understanding using the TEACHER GUIDES provided under the unit tabs on this website. The IXL sets are self checking and students are required to work to at least 80%. This level can be adjusted for each students' needs. We want them to work until they are comfortable with their application of the new concept, but not to frustration level.

Part 4: Assessments - graded assessments on each unit -  Where we find out how well they understood and can meet the Learning Goal.

     Unit Assessments serve as a brief formative assessment at the end of a unit to determine whether students understood the concepts or we need to make adjustments for further inquiry. These will usually be in class, but may be sent home to complete. I believe assessing is an integral part of the learning process. So, students are welcome to retake assessments as often as they need to to master the material. Everything in math builds on prior knowledge, so we can't just allow a pass and move on. We will need to work together to ensure success for each individual. I already know they can do it. 

At home learning:

Students will do Student Workbook pages with support from aligned videos, or Practice Sets from IXL.  Additional resources, material, or support will be provided by the teacher. Parents are welcome to access additional teacher guides sent on Skyward from the teacher or on the corresponding page in this website. 

Parent Feedback:

You know your student best. Please let me know where these plans work contrary to your students needs and we will adjust. My goal is to make this a positive year for math and allow all of my students to relax and not stress about math but yet be confidently ready for Algebra I and the rigors of high school math. Let me know how I can help.