Real Life Math: 2 Simple Strategies for Joyful Math Talk
Today we have the pleasure of hearing from expert in real life math, Alice Aspinall of @EveryoneCanLearnMath. If you follow Alice on social media you will see her beautiful pictures of real life math and practical tips on how to use opportunities in our everyday life to incorporate math! I knew having a guest blog […]
3 Simple Steps to Teaching Classroom Routines in Math
Teaching Classroom Routines will create a student centered classroom community that will engage your students for the entire year. In the analogy of building a student centered math class is just like a house, we are in step 2- the structure. When you’re building a house first you need a solid foundation. In this case, […]
Math Stories: Using Our Pasts to Empower Students
Reflecting on our math stories can help us analyze how we got to where we are in math. Our past experiences, current mindset about teaching are all part of our math stories. Our Math Stories: Past, Present, & Future Let’s start by reflecting on where’ve we’ve been, our past. What memories do you have of […]
5 Tips to Engage All Learners in Math Discussions
Math Engagement is a real problem and one way teachers can re-engage students is by using math discussions. This post will give you 5 tips to engage students in math discussions tomorrow. Because when you get students talking, it not only helps them love math (because what kid doesn’t love talking about themselves?) it also […]
Increase Engagement with Problem of the Day for Math
What is Problem of the Day? In my classroom Problem of the Day for math is an instructional routine that helps students achieve deeper learning through inquiry and exploration of mathematical ideas. Okay, so real talk– it’s a routine we use everyday so kids can THINK deeply about math. The routine is simple, but the […]
Black History Figures that Empower Math Students
In this post you’ll find Black History Figures that will empower and inspire your math students. I’m sharing how I help my students see themselves as mathematicians by using inspiring words and stories of these Black History Figures in mathematics. If you asked your students to name a Black Mathematician, could they? There is a […]
How Problem Solving Changed my Math Teaching
What can you honestly say has changed your teaching? I don’t say that lightly. Honestly, I will claim just 2 things have changed my teaching career– character education and problem solving. Problem Solving Definition Let’s form a common definition. My training and research comes from a book called Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction. This training […]
Virtually Teaching Math? 3 Tech Tool Reviews!
Are you virtually teaching? I am going to assume your inbox has been inundated with emails from every tech company that has ever made an education tool. The onset of virtual teaching in March of 2020 opened the flood gates on technology tools for education. Let’s be honest, it is overwhelming. I’ve been 100% virtually […]
Math Mindset: 3 Tips to Build Positive Math Mindset
Are you looking forw ways to build your students positive math mindset? I share my top 3 ways to motivate my students in the math classroom.
Math Norms for Building a Growth Mindset
What are math norms? Math norms are an agreement that everyone in the math classroom community agrees to follow. Norms in math are short, easy to remember statements that clearly express the expectations for the math classroom. These clear expectations help students know what to expect and help them hold themselves accountable. In addition, it […]
Top 4 Ways I’m Teaching Decimals
to my 4th & 5th Grade Are you frantically searching the internet because you’re teaching decimals and you NEED ideas. Teaching decimals is hard. Are your students struggling with conceptual understanding of decimals and you’re fighting the urge of just showing them all the “short cuts” that landed you (and I) hating math and feeling […]
Got Math Attitude?
Surveying Students’ Attitudes Got Math Attitude?We ALL have some attitude about math. Maybe it is enthusiastic attitude or uninterested attitude? Our students come to us with a wide range of what I like to call “Math Stories”. Some come loving math and knowing exactly how to seek challenge but ask for help when overwhelmed. Then, […]