I just finished grading my students’ algebra unit tests, and I am thrilled with how well they did. In fact, the sixth grade algebra unit is the best unit I teach, and the one in which my students are most successful, every single year. Why? It’s fun. While most of us might remember learning algebra as a set of rules and steps, for my sixth graders, algebra means solving number tricks, “bowling” with numbers, and making up puzzles. It’s a blast, every single day.
This is because our algebra unit, unlike every other unit in our district, was written by teachers. It’s not just math; it’s accessible, interesting and fun- and the kids love it. All the other units in my district’s curriculum were purchased from Pearson, the testing giant (currently located in Ireland where it doesn’t have to pay taxes, and standing to make over a billion dollars from our nation’s public schools with its standardized tests, the “PARCC”). They are not the same.