I admit that I am the first to have heart palpitations the moment I hear a problem begin, “A train leaves a station 500 miles east of the city traveling at 60 m.p.h…..”. Yet given time, I am confident I can calculate the answer to a word problem, in part because my early teaching career […]
Mathematics
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
Crazy New Math
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I love math! I find fascination in numbers and how they work together. But, I also remember being confused in math classes, especially in upper level math. Often the procedures […]
Posted inElementary School, Instruction & Curriculum, Languages, Literacy, Mathematics, Opinion, Social Studies
6 Ways To Teach Critical Thinking Skills
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Critical thinking skills. What are they, anyway? How do teachers apply them in the classroom? There are just as many answers as there are questions. This article will attempt to simplify […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
Interactive Student Notebooks – My Mathematical Lifesaver
Taking notes has always been the downfall of many of my students. They can copy what is on the board, but sometimes it is just not organized or even legible. Many students will just jot down the numbers, not writing down any part of the discussion or copying anything given during instruction. The students that […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
Almost Free Math Games: Teaching with a Deck of Cards!
Time and money, two things of which we are forever short in education. While I can’t help you find more time, this is about inexpensive, almost free, math games. I love when I find every day, simple objects that can be used multiple ways. In my classroom, it is a simple deck of cards. You […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Bringing the Digital World To Your Students to Teach Common Core
“Don’t teach your children to read. Teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.” –George Carlin The Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics are about thinking, questioning, and higher level learning. These are passions I have and things I am excited to see happening in classrooms. In […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Mathematics, Social Studies
"I'm Done!" – Challenging Students Who Finish Early
“We have noticed our child is not reading near the amount of books he read last year,” a set of parents commented at conferences. “He still has a passion for reading and he reads at home, but we are not getting new books as often.” This same student loves Tuesday in my classroom. Tuesday is […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
Concept vs Speed: The Math Timed Test
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Accuracy, speed, process, meaning…these are all words that have been passed around the age-old discussion of math time tests. Do students need to be able to prove their worth with sixty […]