The failure of math education in the United States has several reasons. After looking at the results of two international tests that we participate in, I can suggest some of the reasons for this problem. The PISA (The Programme for International Student Assessment) and TIMSS (Third International Mathematics and Science Study) are international tests that […]
math
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Unit Fractions: A Math Teacher’s Grand Slam!
As I slowly walked down the hallway to my classroom I told myself, “Last school year was a complete disaster but this year is going to be different!” If I could paint a picture of the students that I had last year, it would look like a scene from Major Payne. Every morning when I […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Why and How to Start an Interactive Notebook in Math
Last year, I began an interactive notebook in my math class after a lot of thought about the process. I had already begun the school year and didn’t want to change up how I did things but wound up deciding midway through the year to begin interactive notebooks. In the end, the decision to start the […]
Posted inElementary School
Adding Depth in the Elementary Math Classroom
I’m at a new school this year and since the beginning of the school year, I have always felt that something was missing from my lessons but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I’m not a new teacher and I have taught many different kinds of students, but the students that I have […]
Posted inElementary School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
Teaching Fractions, Piece By Piece
Ugh. Fractions. I love to teach math, but fractions-blah. So like with any challenging unit, I like to bring in something tangible. Remember, kids were designed to manipulate items and are tactile learners, some on into ten and eleven years of age. This activity is great for all ages and will teach several different concepts […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Mathematics
Math Talk – Fostering Mathematical Thinking
The two most powerful learning techniques that I used with my math classes were Think Aloud and Math Talk. I used Think Aloud, which is teacher directed, with the entire class slowly transitioning them into Math Talk for their group work. My Think Aloud Procedure I would begin with a problem that many of my […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics, Middle School
Math Teachers: Thinking Outside the Algorithm
Middle School math can be frustrating and challenging, especially when the teacher feels that in addition to reaching their own learning milestones, they must backfill the deficits students have when they enter the classroom. As an educator I have always believed that part of my job was to take my students as far as […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Mathematics
Word Walls In Math? But, Why?
When I told my students that we would have a word wall in our class, they looked puzzled. “A word wall?” “I never heard of having a word wall in math class before.” “Huh?” I pointed their attention to the words we had already gone over and said that the wall would grow throughout the […]