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The Teacher Studio

Learning, thinking, creating

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Test Prep and Growth Mindset

Test Taking It's that time of year when many of us are charged with helping our students navigate the world of standardized test taking.  We all acknowledge that testing is a double-edged sword--but if we as the "grown ups" can keep things in perspective, we can lessen stress for the students and US as well!  We have the power to make a HUGE difference in how our students (and their parents) ... Read the Post

How Students Acquire Multiplication Facts

If you are unfamiliar with the CRA model for learning math, read on!  Today's post is all about helping our students acquire multiplication facts in a research-based way that will cement true understanding.  So often we push memorization--and that IS our EVENTUAL goal!  In order for us to get there, we need to slow down and build understanding from the ground up. Concrete Modeling In order ... Read the Post

Why Teach Line Plots?

If you teach upper elementary school math, you are probably familiar with line plots.  If you have been alive even HALF as long as I have, you probably didn't study these little buggers when you were in elementary school.  So why DO we teach line plots now? Simple and Visual As students advance through the grades, they will be asked to explore more and more sophisticated graphs and ... Read the Post

Quick Writing Assessments to Guide Instruction

More often than not, writing assessment is something we dread  Whether it's self-imposed restrictions or in-depth rubrics and checklists that take forever to interpret and use--writing assessment is often something we push to the back of our "to do" list.  It simply isn't very glamorous.  It isn't very fun. Quick writing assessments seem like a dream, right? Unfortunately, the importance of ... Read the Post

Valentine’s Day Lessons and Activities

Valentine's Day is such a fun time of year for elementary students!  Although we don't make it a big huge deal, we DO talk about friendship and kindness. I also make sure to plan some fun Valentine's Day lessons and activities. I thought I'd share a few with you today! Valentine's Day Math Games Although most of my Valentine's Day activities take place in the few days surrounding the holiday, ... Read the Post

Fractions are Numbers

Teaching fractions is a challenge for many teachers, and so much of it is because WE didn't have good fraction instruction!  I hope this blog post can give you a few key points to ground your thinking about fractions and the best approaches to take when teaching about these important numbers! Fractions...more than pizza So many textbooks focus on fractions of areas/regions.  Students are asked ... Read the Post

Winter Teaching Resource Roundup!

Winter is a time of year where we move into "that time" in our classroom.  "That time" where we know each other well--so well that our routines are in place.  That being said, winter can also be a time of less outside time.  Less ways to let off steam.  A sense of "routine" that could be seen as...BORING.  Winter is a great time to shake things up with some new ideas and routines.  I've put ... Read the Post