Well, my fourth graders and I are NEARLY finished with our feature articles unit...and, boy, have we had a blast! They have learned so much about different text structures, how to take a topic and "spin" it to make it more appealing--not to mention all the new tech skills they learned like inserting photos with citations, and so on. So...next on the list? Historical fiction! I LOVE historical ... Read the Post
Inventive Strategies in Math
Problem solving is a such a critical part of math instruction in elementary grades. Have you considered how much time you spend letting students work collaboratively and share their math strategies? Check out this easy math lesson idea! A different approach to word problems This is not a new concept for people who are interested in constructivist thinking, but today's "opening ... Read the Post
“This isn’t math!” Engaging Math Problem Solving
That quote came out of "math" last Friday as I presented my students with a chance to practice some of the decimal skills we have been refining. Decimals are tricky little buggers for lots of kids...hard to "grasp" the idea that there are numbers between those simple counting numbers they have used their entire lives! One way that students do tend to begin making sense (cents?) ... Read the Post
“The Dot” and Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset
The first week of school, I read a book called "The Dot" by Peter Reynolds to my students. If you haven't seen this picture book, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy. In it, a little girl is frustrated when she cannot draw and her teacher gently guides her to "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." The book has so many "big ideas" and is a wonderful way to introduce students to the ... Read the Post
Decimal Thinking!
Decimal Place Value Challenges Today was our first day back to school, and I had a decision to make. We wrapped up our decimal unit before break, and I wasn’t super pleased with the results of our summative assessment. I was pretty disappointed—all the formatives had looked pretty good, I had done lots of small group and one on one work, and I really felt like the students were ... Read the Post
Explicitly Taught Learning Behaviors and Standards for Mathematical Practice
I know I have written about quite a range of topics since the beginning of this little blog, but recently I have seen a number of blog posts (here included!) about goals/resolutions for the new year. Returning to school in January can be a great time for goal setting--and a great time to revisit some of those "back to school" things we do automatically in the fall. Teaching Students What ... Read the Post