Teaching Science or
Mathematics Effectively Using
Technology When Roaming
Laura Headley, NBCT
Science and Mathematics Teacher,
Andrew Jackson Middle School
Time Management
 Plan for one hour of uninterrupted time per day
to complete your tasks.
 If your class is forty seven minutes plan for sixty
minutes of instruction including guided practice.
 Teaching requires a lot of paper work, planning
time, patience, understanding, and empathy.
 Do not procrastinate– remember it is much
better to be on top of your workload than to have
your workload on top of you!
Organization
 Being organized is important. An organized
class gives a message that the teacher is
competent and well prepared.
 How to organize when teaching from a cart?
 Check roll using a blank spreadsheet of your
class and a seating chart generated from . Do
not wait to log on to the computer in another
teacher’s room. It takes too long. Send a list of
absences to the attendance clerk via courier.
The first five minutes of a class makes or breaks
the class. You do not have time to sit behind a
computer and log on.
Organization
 Present your lesson using power point and let the steps of the
problems come in with animation to keep the students attention.
 The first slide of the power point should be a problem of the day as a
bell ringer. This gives the first five minutes structure as you check
attendance.
 Collection of papers for the roaming teacher is a challenge. Provide
a folder for each class which is color coded. Select a student to
collect the papers and place them in the folder. Check off the
homework or quiz papers daily from the folder and enter the marks
into a spreadsheet. Return the papers in the same class period if
possible. At the latest return the papers the next day. The longer you
keep the papers on the “cart” the greater the chance of losing
student work.
Organization
 Collection of papers for the roaming teacher is a
challenge. Provide a folder for each class which
is color coded. Select a student to collect the
papers and place them in the folder. Check off
the homework or quiz papers daily from the
folder and enter the marks into a spreadsheet.
Return the papers in the same class period if
possible. At the latest return the papers the next
day. The longer you keep the papers on the
“cart” the greater the chance of losing student
work.
Presentation of the lesson
Use technology to present the lesson not
only using a power point but also enrich
the lesson with websites from the internet.
Almost every math and science topic for
middle school is already done for you
online. Search the internet for a lesson
appropriate to the standards you are
teaching and have the website listed as a
favorite in the class rooms where you are
teaching.
Presentation of the lesson
Roaming teachers are not always
welcome to use another teacher’s
blackboard or white board. Avoid the
confrontation. Use the document camera
to check homework or demonstrate how
solve problems.
Presentation of the lesson
 Sometimes the best way to teach mathematics
or science is with manipulative tools.
 How does one organize the tools?
 Use tubs to keep your tools together. Before
school every morning list the materials needed
and make sure the appropriate tubs are on the
cart.
 Assign a student to pass the tools to the class
and have the same student responsible for
collection of the tools. Give that student the
leeway to remind you that class will be ending
soon, and the tools must be collected.
What does the teacher need on the cart?
 Just like any other teacher be prepared to help a
student in need.
 Bandages
 Paper
 Pencils and erasers
 Stapler
 Tape
 Tissues
 Planner for emergencies
When is the roaming teacher free to move
from class to class?
No students may be left unsupervised.
The roaming teacher must remain in the
classroom until another teacher arrives.
This puts responsibility on the entire staff
to return to their classroom before the end
of their planning period.
What is the responsibility of teachers who
do not roam but must leave their
classrooms during their planning period?
 Have a class set of textbooks available for the
roaming teacher.
 Leave your computer up and running. Do not
lock your computer.
 Leave some board space available for the
roaming teacher. When teaching mathematics
sometimes it is necessary to send a student to
the board. Working in front of their peers is a
tremendous motivation to do the work correctly.
Communicating with Parents
 Use edline to post assignments, projects, field
trips, or materials which could be donated from
home to make labs go more smoothly.
 Post your grades frequently and export at least
once a week. Mathematics teachers really
should take several grades a week.
 Be careful with email. Before you send, go back
and read what you have written. Only send when
the email is professional, factual, and written in
such manner that you would not be upset to
read it posted in the Florida Today. Email from
Brevard Public Schools is public domain.
Roaming teachers can be successful.
When procedures are established,
materials are available, and technology is
integrated into the curriculum, lessons flow
smoothly and the whole environment is
safe, orderly and inviting.