Accelerated Math 7
Every day this year I come face-to-face with my future and my past. In the morning, I see the mature educated confident faces of the ninth graders who were in my Accelerated Math 8 class last year. In the afternoon, I look into the eyes of the naïve but eager students who chose to join my current Accelerated Math 7 class, each of them armed with only a pencil and a dream.

After our current work on scientific notation, we will spend many weeks on solving simple equations.


Accelerated Math 8
We wasted no time in the first weeks of Accelerated Math 8 as we worked on several types of questions from the New York State Algebra Regents. I chose the topic of solving quadratic equations graphically and I think my math 8 students have already begun to feel more confident about their upcoming end of the year exam. This year I have the simple goal of preparing all of my eighth-graders to pass the state algebra exam. After a brief review of last year's material, we will focus on solving quadratic equations using a variety of methods. If you would like to hear an example of their work, ask them to sing "Pop goes the weasel."

Accelerated Math 7
In Accelerated math 7 we will be spending our last weeks reviewing the material we have studied this year. The goal of my math 7 class has been to make my students proficient in at least 60% of the material they will need to know for their Integrated Algebra regents exam next year. Thanks to this year's very special and very intelligent seventh graders, we have surpassed that goal. I hope that all the students in my Accelerated math 7 class decide to continue their challenging work into math 8. Given their current level of maturity and discipline, I have no doubt they will do well.

Accelerated Math 8
The exam we have been preparing to take for the last two years is only a few days away now. We have done nothing but practice and review in the last month. I have run out of questions in their green review books and have chosen to move on to problems that are rarely on the exam because of their level of difficulty. Based on their recent grades and their behavior in class I am expecting a terrific result when these Accelerated math 8 students finally take their tests. Good Luck to you all.

Accelerated Math 7
In Acc. Math 7 we have been spending a great deal of time on fractions. Or at least that's what I tell my students. We have actually been spending time on factoring polynomials. In order to simplify any of the answers they receive in their fraction problems they need to be able to separate a polynomial in two factors that can be used to simplify the fraction. To put it more plainly, they need algebra to finish the problem. Factoring takes an incredible amount practice because the problems can be very similar in solution but look very different in appearance. We will continue to practice factoring on almost every quiz for the rest of the year because I believe it is one of the most challenging topics will cover this year.

Accelerated Math 8
In Acc. Math 8 fractions have been the topic of review. There is an incredible amount of algebra needed to answer their fraction questions. But there are only three methods they need to answer any question.
1) common factor
2) difference of two perfect squares
3) backwards foil
I invite you to make a poster of these and hang it in your young students’ room. They will thank you for this later. Much later.