8 Benefits of Content Posters in Math Classroom

 

Some people don’t see the educational benefit of having posters in the classroom. They see posters merely as decorations with inspirational quotes. What if I told you that having content posters in your classroom were vital for students’ learning? 

Content posters are learning aids that provide visual representations of mathematical concepts, which makes understanding and retaining information easier. Here are 15 reasons why you should have content posters in your math classroom.

Organization and Structure

Posters can help organize complex math topics into clear and structured visual displays, aiding comprehension and organization skills. Below you can see posters outlining how to solve multi-step equations. My students loved having these up when they were first learning to solve equations because they were a quick reference! 

Increased Independence

Well-designed posters can boost students' confidence by providing visual affirmation of their mathematical skills and achievements. You can see the same posters from above but printed to fit on students’ desks. Students became more independent rather than constantly asking me what they should do next. This strategy was also a tremendous tool for my introverted students who were not comfortable speaking with other students.

Reinforcement of Key Concepts

Posters serve as a constant reminder of essential math principles and formulas, reinforcing learning over time. I once had a student tell me they were stuck on a problem, but remembered a poster I had in the room that helped them solve the question. I’ll take that as a win!

Reference Guides

Anchor charts act as handy reference tools, allowing students to quickly access important information during class or while working independently. The anchor charts below were a wonderful reminder to my students at the beginning of Algebra 1. We were able to quickly review these concepts while mainly teaching procedures because students could reference these posters daily. Also having these previous courses’ content posted, my co-teacher and I have been able to scaffold instruction to our students who struggle with math.

Memory Aids

Visual cues on posters can trigger memory recall, helping students remember mathematical concepts. During and after COVID, I noticed my students had huge gaps in their knowledge of basic math principles. The Hidden Math posters below have constantly been referenced by my co-teacher or myself over the past few years. Seriously, a life saver!

Problem-Solving Support

Posters can display problem-solving strategies, tips, and techniques that students can refer to when tackling math challenges.

Vocabulary Expansion

Math posters often include relevant mathematical vocabulary, expanding students' understanding of mathematical language and terminology. We all know students cannot answer a question if they do not know what the question is saying or asking! Building vocabulary is a monumental task that is overlooked in math classes. My co-teacher bought the vocabulary posters below to help our “return from COVID closures” students. I could not be more thankful for his purchase because we also had several English Language Learners (ELLs) that year. These Posters with the visuals exponentially increased our efforts with our students!

Collaboration

Posters can serve as focal points for teacher-student as well as student-student discussions. They act as conversation starters which can lead to mathematical concepts and applications of problem-solving activities. Ultimately, this creates a collaborative learning environment in the classroom.

These benefits collectively contribute to a more engaging and effective math learning experience for students. And don’t forget the added bonuses of increased independence and helping at-risk students like ELLs!

Alternative Assessments in Algebra 1

Everywhere we turn in education, teachers are being asked to have students produce examples of their learning rather than just regurgitating facts.

Educational buzz words that have circulated over the years are authentic assessments and alternative assessments. The purpose of an alternative assessment is to showcase a student’s understanding of the concept beyond what traditional quizzes and tests show, which in turn promotes deeper learning and engagement for the student. Some teachers have students write letters to state senators, create portfolios of their artwork, or design an experiment. But the big question for math teachers is how can we incorporate alternative assessments into our classes for additional insights of our students’ learning?

One solution that has worked incredibly well in my classroom is a Gallery Walk. I allowed this assessment to take the place of a regular multiple choice, matching, or fill-in-the-blank quiz. For the explanation, I will focus on the Properties of Real Numbers Gallery Walk.

First, I wanted students to engage in a dialogue over the properties of real numbers, so I allowed students to work in groups of 2 or 3. Some years I assigned the groups and others I let students pick their groups. After using both ways, both group selection methods worked for me.

Next, I only provided 2 days in class for students to complete the assignment. I did not want students using class time as a social hour instead of learning and working, so I limited their time. At first, I was concerned that 2 days was not going to be enough time. Surprisingly, I received better final products with only providing 2 days versus 3 days. I did not ask my students, but I think the shorter time frame caused an urgency in my students to work rather than socialize.

Finally, I provided them with a loose structure of what to complete and a deadline. For example, on the first day, I told the students they needed to have a property picked out to focus on, an explanation of the property, and at least 4 examples of the property. 

The second day was participating in the gallery walk and then creating the finished product.

Some of you are wondering “what is a gallery walk?” Well, it is simple. In this alternative assessment, students walk around the room (either in their groups or individually) and fill out a quick questionnaire about other projects in the room. It’s very similar to walking through an art museum with a friend. You look at a piece of art and then discuss it with whomever is with you at the museum. 

After the gallery walk, groups are able to see what feedback might help them earn a higher grade. The students take that feedback and decide to use it (or not) when finishing up their final product.

A word of caution, I highly suggest going over what appropriate feedback looks like with your students before setting them loose in the gallery walk. I made a slide and projected it during the gallery walk with some examples for students to follow.

The final products for all my classes were displayed for a few weeks. Once, I had a student turn in a video of the reflexive property and he permitted me to show other classes his video. I loved hearing all the conversations that occurred because of the final products.

This simple gallery walk had students talking and thinking about the properties of real numbers more than a simple quiz. I truly believe students understood the properties more because I allowed them the opportunity to dive into the meanings of the properties rather than having them memorize facts.

Other topics you could easily use with a Gallery Walk are real-world word problems for equations, inequalities, systems of equations, and systems of inequalities.

If you want to see the exact alternative assessment I wrote about, you can click here.