After the Start: Interactive Notebooks - What I've Learned

So we're in about week four of school now and I've been working pretty hard at using interactive notebooks (Math Survival Guides - MSGs) within both my algebra 1 and geometry (both 8th grade) math classes.  I like where they are going and the kids seem to be on board, but I've learned some things and thought I'd pass that information on to you… (pictures at the bottom)

1) Taking time to help the kids get set up and organized: I started off pretty well with having them create their cover page and gluing their small paper for username and passwords.  We even counted out the next 5 pages for a table of contents and I gave them a paper clip on the first day of school to hold those together.  This helped a lot, but I should have had the kids fill out the first few entries for the table on contents instead of leaving it blank initially.  Some of the kids who lost their paper clips forgot that they needed 5 pages for the TOC and proceeded to put some of their foldables there.  We're slowly redoing things and catching them up, but if I'd had them enter a bit more I think we would have avoided it.

2) Don't skip pages: I designated the first four pages (after the TOC) as review pages for geometric formulas.  This would have worked great (and is still okay for some) if I'd taken the time to fill them out prior to starting curriculum work.  However, we jumped right into curriculum, which started on page 5 and that messed up some of the kids who didn't remember to leave the first four pages blank.  Next year:  either put the formula review pages in the back or fill them out prior to the first day of curriculum.

3) Post your titles every day: We try to fill out a two-page spread each class period with the left (odd pages) having foldables, drawings, or diagrams and the right with vocal, notes, and reflections.  I didn't start out by posting the titles on the board, just said them out loud.  I've learned to write the page and title on the board and have them copy it directly to their TOC (color coded hopefully) and to the correct pages.

4) Be very specific: This kind of goes along with #3, but you have to be very specific (especially if you're type A like my) with the kiddos about where you want things to go.  I actually write the page numbers on the copies of the foldables for them and I constantly state where they should go.  As they are cutting and gluing I am always walking around to make sure they are putting things in the right space.

5) INBs (MSG) take time! I initially started by having a warm-up as well as trying to teach and complete the MSG.  What I've found is that I need to incorporate their warm-up into their MSG.  For me, this means their warm-up might be completing vocabulary on the right side (in the "write" section), working some sample problems on the right, or completing their foldable activity or drawing on the left side.  By doing this I'm feeling less rushed for them to complete their MSGs.  Also, its making their MSGs something that they are always referring to and using rather than something we rush to fill out.

6) Neatness counts: This is one place where I'm going to have to decide how to grade.  There are students out there who just don't want to take the effort to make their notebook look nice and I need to decide where the line for neatness will be drawn.  I keep reminding them that neatness is part of their grade.  I'd love some feedback from you on how you deal with this part of INBs.

7) Be flexible! As much as I want to complete a two-page spread in one class period, sometimes we run out of time and I have to let things go.  Some days we'll come back to in the next class and some we end up skipping.  I'm still trying to find the right balance and over the next year am sure I'll come up with adjustments and other strategies to make it work.

8) Stay on top of things: I didn't want to complete the entire MSG over the summer so that I would have the flexibility to make changes.  That being said, I definitely have to take the time to stay several days ahead so that I know what's coming up, how to incorporate it into my lesson, and to have copies made and delivered on time.  I'm also posting pics of each spread into our class webpage, so I need to have those ready to go for the students as well.  Its a work in progress.

I think that so far, with a few tweaks, things are going fine.  I'm learning daily how to make the MSG a useful and engaging tool for the students.  I've had comments from other teachers who've come and seen them that they like both the foldables as well as the reflection pieces all in one place.  I'm going to keep using them and will update more as the year goes on.  I think that I'll have to redo it again next year, but I might create the pages in a binder with page protectors so that as the students take and use them they have less damage.  Any other feedback or suggestions you can provide would be great!

Here are some sample pages we've completed in both classes: