TOPIC: Mixed-ability Math Settings

QUESTION: I teach students in a mixed ability, middle school math setting. What are some instructional and assessment strategies to help me meet "all" of their needs?

ANSWER: I have taught many classes of mixed-ability students, and I find that group hands-on or writing projects and peer teaching work best for me. With hands-on projects, some students who are not mathematically inclined do very well, begin to feel that they can really do math, and actually improve their math skills because of their positive attitude. I have them build something to present to the class or discover how to do the next math concept by working in a group with manipulatives and then present it orally, on the overhead or with a poster. You should grade student projects partly on effort and partly on the way the group worked together, as well as grade the product.

This year I have a group of ten small projects that my students do and hand in, and I give ten points per project and count it as a test grade or let it replace a test grade. I find such projects in new textbook samples, in supplemental booklets from various textbook companies, from university professors in the nearby university who are interested in math education, and in the Mathematics Teacher magazine from NCTM. There is a middle school publication from NCTM called Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School that is also a good source. I've also made up a lot of projects.

Regarding peer teaching, the "student-teacher" does only a few problems from a section to show me that he knows what to do, and then I let him help a student who has trouble. I assign them as a pair and the student-teacher teaches the other how to do the section and helps him with the work. The student-teacher has a stake in helping the other really understand, because he is rewarded (grades, extra credit, candy, free time, free homework, etc.) when his "student" gets a test or quiz grade higher than his usual test average. An additional advantage of this method is that maybe some of the student-teachers will decide to be a teacher in the future.

I have even given group tests or had students work on concepts together and then randomly picked one of the groups to put a problem on the board and given a partial group grade for that. As you can see, there are many ways that the students can be helpful in meeting "all" of the needs in a mixed-ability setting.

GRADE LEVEL: 6-8