You can increase math engagement! I still remember ever so lightly writing “I hate math” on my math textbook. In pencil. Naturally, I immediately erased it, but the feeling didn’t change. I wasn’t bad at math. But, it was boring and pointless to me. In fact, when I started teaching, math was my least favorite […]
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This ultimate list of Halloween activities for the classroom is here! We all know that during this time of year our calendars are completely full, and students get oh-so excited about every single holiday that will occur in the next few months. I try to embrace the crazy and enjoy the season. However, we don’t
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There are so many great options for using digital math manipulatives. However, once school started I quickly realized that while I had access to great digital manipulatives, I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to use them. We all know the importance of using math manipulatives in the classroom, but there is a difference (other
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It’s no secret that addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division word problems present a considerable challenge to students. Students often rush through word problems and immediately try to find an answer, rather than thinking about the meaning of the problem. Students see a word problem and want to immediately grab the numbers and do something with
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These number sense activities are a blast for students! Most upper elementary teachers notice a lack of number sense in their students, and that lack of number sense makes high levels of math extremely difficult for children. We’ve all seen the blank stares when students are not able to grasp or connect to the concept
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I was right in the middle of grading papers during my planning when I overheard the fifth grade math teacher across the hall. Keep in mind this is a regular occurrence. I love her dearly, but she does have a tendency to get excited and…a bit…loud while teaching. She asked a student (one of mine
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Strategies for multiplication are so important for students. As a math teacher, multiplication facts have always been a source of concern. We know that a deep understanding of multiplication is essential for students, but there is also need for students to have at least a moderate (ideally more) memorization of multiplication facts, as well as
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Do you have any topics that you teach and you teach, but you never feel like your students really “get it”? Or, do you have any standards that you never feel like you have time to teach? I’ll be the first person to acknowledge that I do. It’s just one of those things that comes
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The first few days of school are crucial for developing the classroom routines and procedures that will guide the class for the rest of the school year. This is especially true for your math instruction. The very first day or two of school, I focus on general classroom routines and procedures and move into content
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When I first started teaching I needed (wanted) all the math manipulatives. My mission in life was to have as many manipulatives as possible. Because more = better. Right? Not really. I found myself going back to the same math manipulatives over and over again, while the others that I worked so hard to obtain collected
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