If teaching fifth and sixth graders has taught me anything, it's that fractions and decimals can be ABSTRACT and TRICKY... and that kids have to be developmentally ready to perform operations on them. The good news is- the standards aren't encouraging us to get kids to add, subtract, multiply and divide 5/32 and 16/71! We make equivalent ... read more
Classroom Word Game
You know that buzz of collaboration and learning that you hope for everyday? It happens when we play this game. Every. Single. Time. If you like Boggle, you'll love this game. Word Wrangle is a fun classroom word game inspired by my love of Boggle and also my love of quiet. Once upon a time, I bought SIX Boggle games for my first year ... read more
Building Community through Discussion
Class Discussion Norms (In my class, these become our Community Norms and replace any “rules”) Equity of Voice: Monitor your airtime. As a group member you are responsible to be a speaker AND a listener. You are also responsible to invite others to speak. Equal(ish) airtime is the goal. Our community values all voices. ... read more
Academic Discussions
Current Events. It’s been done to death. And I get that. What I’m going to share with you is not really about current events. The context just happens to be Current Events- but it could be anything... (so insert your own context!) It’s about academic discussions- conversation. Do kids really know what that is these days? Chances are they ... read more
3 Classroom Discussion Musts
Using Sentence Stems and Explicit Instruction for Classroom Discussions Teaching discussion skills can be daunting! You know you want productive, positive discussions... but how do you get there? Here's some of what works for me! Body Language & Politeness Matter Eye Contact: looking directly at the speaker lets them know ... read more
DIY Projector Screen
You finally have your own classroom!!! No more shuffling around on a cart, lugging your whole life with you every period of the day... no more “borrowing” other teachers’ classrooms and hoping you left them as neat as you found them. Make it the classroom of your dreams!!! Now What Now, you’re ready to make this new space work for you. ... read more
Getting Students to Use that Feedback
I used to cringe watching students stuff papers into their folders to be lost in the locker abyss… after I had spent so much time thoughtfully providing feedback on their work!! I spend so much time writing thoughtful questions about their math thinking and comments aimed at pushing their scientific curiosity... It was killing me to know ... read more
Subtraction with Renaming
We have moved on to subtraction with renaming (2.NBT.7). You might call this regrouping... but really- if we think literally about what's happening- we're also giving the values new names! 50+10 is a different name for 60. So, renaming, regrouping... you know what we're doing! What's Working I've been doing a lot of this work with ... read more
Concerns About Counting
Jump to improve counting with Mental Math Bingo or Base Ten Games. We have been counting in second grade all year: waiting in line, backwards and forwards, by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s. Sometimes we start in the hundreds, other times the teens... So, why am I observing students struggle to cross decades when counting in the midst of double ... read more
Classroom Teacher: Reality Check
The view from down here. "It all falls on the classroom teacher, it always does" she reminded me. This was my mother. A retired elementary school teacher, who had made it the long haul. In the classroom for her entire career, advocating for kids, mentoring new teachers- reminding me when I express frustration in the system that, I ... read more
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