Number one, if you are teaching math at this level, you need
to know what you are doing and know it at a high confidence
level. You kids are going to pick up on it if you are faking
it. I have sub in the algebra room several times. I have
learned to go in and get a copy of the lesson the day before
if possible so I can go over it and master it ahead of time.
Ask you teacher if the textbooks have a computer internet tie
in. Ours has their own web page where you can watch a
professor teach each unit's lesson. Learn the new lesson the
NIGHT BEFORE, so you know what she is talking about the next
day.

One major problem with the pushin method is you are going
into someone else's territory. You are now playing by her
rules.

From what I've seen, most mandatory high school math classes
do not do cooperative groups. The curriculum that they must
cover is daunting. The teacher must get her entire class to
a certain point by the end of the year. If she percieves the
cooperative groups as slowing the group down even a little,
she probably won't do it. She may also believe that in some
of the groups one or two students will do a majority of the
work and the others will simply copy or blindly follow.

How long does it take for her to teach the basic lesson? How
many minutes of class are left afterwards? Is there even
enough minutes fore everyone to get into groups to do it? I
doubt she will give up direct instruction and multiple
examples because one of the biggest difference between
elementarymath and Algebra is students don't just intuitively
get it. Also if they don't "get it" completely and
accurately at this level, it can lead to serious trouble for
the students next year.

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