Every day you need to have a clear idea of what you want your students to learn. You must also have a clear idea of how much is appropriate to do in one period. Timing the lesson gets better with experience. However, no matter how long you've been teaching, you must have an organizing idea for your lesson. This is true whether you are doing a lecture or an activity. If students see the purpose of the lesson, they'll want to follow along with you.

My best friend and colleague, Helene Bereaud, who teaches French at DeWitt Middle School always remembers her middle school math teacher because he was clear. She could understand math because he made it clear as water. This is a necessary quality in any good teacher. Preview for your students what they will do that day. If you want them to take notes, tell them for how long, or how many examples they can expect. Make sure your examples reflect what is on the homework you assign. Never assign homework without looking at each homework problem ahead of time. Make sure the homework reflects what you have taught and want them to practice. Write clearly on the board. Speak clearly and slowly but with enthusiasm and look at each student as you teach. Walk around the room and involve as many as you can without putting students on the spot. Be careful with digressions. I often tell many stories to my students but they are short and relate to the lesson or teach a lesson. (My story telling developed after many years of teaching). Don't let one student or a group of students carry the lesson too far in a different direction, but don't shut them off. You can always say: "Great point, let me think about this and get back to you" and do get back to that student. I have watched many student teachers floundering with explanations they were not ready to give or actually teaching something wrong because they were not ready to handle a question from the class.

Lastly, are you paying as much attention to them as you want them to pay to you? Being a careful listener and observant is crucial. You need to realize what part of the problem they don't understand and why. The best teachers anticipate those problems before they come up and clear them up in the lesson. You must create an atmosphere where students are rewarded for speaking out. Admit your mistakes openly if you make them and you will. We all do!

For a great book on organizing ideas and the importance of reading skills and development of math concepts in our content area of math, you should read: Teaching Reading in Content Areas by Harold L. Herber. Prentice-Hall, l978.