Vision and Goals: Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus

Charles Ellsworth
Academic Growth
My hope for my students is that they will leave my classroom with not only a firm understanding
of the principles of Pre-Calculus and Calculus but also how those principles can apply to their
lives outside the classroom. By providing real-life examples, everyday applications, and using
strong external motivation, our students will grow to appreciate the mathematical subject in and
outside of the classroom as an art, rather than a burden. This newfound appreciation for PreCalculus and Calculus will aid students in their future academic pursuits including coursework in
Calculus, physics, SAT and ACT standardized testing, as well as other college entrance nad
placement exams.
Academic Goals:

To see clear improvement in every student and to see their love of math grow.
To see improvement and growth on tests, quizzes and other assignments.
To see discernable growth in the critical thinking skills of my students.

Personal Growth
The personal growth I wish to see in my students over the school session includes respect,
responsibility and ambition. A huge portion of respect relates to the interaction between
students and adults, such as parents, teachers and administrators. Developing and encouraging
this sort of respect to elders provides students one of the most, if not the most, appreciated
behavior in the professional world they are about to enter. Additionally, respect relates to
students and their classmates. This latter sort of respect is necessary for the students to
participate in team-oriented environments effectively and bypassing societal standards for their
generation, putting them on the best track towards professional and personal success.
Responsibility instilled within students begins with turning all assignments in on time, no
excuses. Taking responsibility for ones own actions is a fine mark of a mature adult, a trait that
even few adults possess, and provides the student an avenue to success. Being responsible
allows the student to realize what is within and beyond their locus of control, giving students the
opportunity to take more effective actions towards their short-term and long-term goals.
Communities are also within the realm of a students responsibility, as students are responsible
for maintaining a strong community to support future generations and act as a force of positive
change.
Students development into ambitious individuals requires that they see a dream and believe it
is a goal within reach. This idea is very much a skill that can be fostered within the classroom,
first with looking to make a specific grade on exit tickets and then pushing further towards a
certain percent mastery on benchmarks. Once this skill set is established, and with some

guidance from mentors, utilizing goal-setting motivates students to push further and see what is
out there for them to accomplish. Beginning with setting small goals and looking out to see how
these goals can relate to actual dreams provides students with the proper avenue to their
ultimate success.

My goal over the year is not only to further academic development within my students but also
to inform students of their role as active citizens by providing the tools to gain responsibility,
ambition, and respect.

PERSONAL GOALS

There are many areas that I wish to see personal growth within my students throughout
the course of the summer session. Most importantly I want my students to be confident
in their abilities when moving onto the next level in their education, but I also want to see
my students develop stronger critical thinking skills and be able to think outside the box
when working through a problem.

What will it look like/sound like when students meet those goals?
Students will say things like I finally understand, I can use this in real life and I know
how this applies to what we have already learned.
Students will be able to see their growth and progress throughout the summer and they
will gain confidence in their abilities to learn new things.
We will celebrate and track success on Exit Ticket Assessments.
Students will remain on-track and engaged throughout the entire lesson.
Students will take thorough notes throughout the lesson that they can refer to while
working on their homework.
Students will feel comfortable enough to ask questions when they are confused or do not
quite understand so that they do not fall behind.
Students will work together to master the material, there will be a constant back and
forth of questioning and answering so that all students have a chance to participate and
gain from the learning process.

Applying Math to the Real World:

Students will constantly be applying the content that they learn in class to the real world.
They will say things like I can find out the angle between the ground and the top of that

flag pole because I know how far away I am from the base of that light poll and I know
how tall the flag pole is.
Students will say things like At first I was challenged by geometry and angles, but now I
understand it and it makes me feel like I accomplished something.
We will apply the things we learned in class to our communities and to our school.