Name: Erin Galvin
Breakthrough Program: Breakthrough Fort Worth
Subject Teaching: 8th grade Algebra 1 and Geometry
School Attending/Year: Marquette University, Class of 2013

The first two weeks of classes at Breakthrough Fort Worth have been filled with amazing classes, All-School Meeting (ASM), clubs, and Spirit Week! As a teacher, each day has been filled with opportunities to grow as a teacher and immerse myself in the BTFW community.

This summer I am teaching one section of 8th grade Algebra 1 and one section of 8th grade Geometry. In Algebra 1, we have been learning to use the four-step problem solving method to solve consecutive integer, size comparison, and perimeter word problems. In Geometry, we have been focusing on the properties of triangles in preparation for writing geometric proofs. In both classes, I have learned how important it is to adapt my lesson plans to students’ needs while maintaining a strong sense of academic rigor. For example, during week 1, I realized that most of my students were struggling with problems that involved both negative and positive integers, which prevented them from solving consecutive integer word problems correctly. After discussing this with my Mentor Teacher, Ashley, we agreed to add a lesson on working with integers. In this lesson, I created manipulatives to model and solve integer problems for my students based on ideas that I learned from a mathematics education course at Marquette University and my Mentor Teacher at BTFW. This lesson greatly benefitted my students, and on their week two assignments, they solved many more integer problems correctly. Furthermore, their understanding of integer problems gave them an opportunity to focus on the objectives of each lesson during Week 2 rather than the basic arithmetic. As a teacher, being aware of my student’s needs and adapting my lesson plans to their needs are essential for setting my students up for success in the classroom.