I am a math specialist near Boston, MA. Find me on twitter @JennaLaib. For the last few years, this blog has served as a way for me to process and reflect on my work. Scroll down to check out my latest posts, or use the menu to browse by category.
A Blog Primer
Want an entry point into the archives? Here are some posts to check out.
On clinical interviews, listening, and examining what students do know:
- Nov 13, 2018. Presuming Competence: Using Clinical Interviews to Support Classroom Instruction
- Feb 5, 2019. What does it mean to be ‘struggling’ in math class? (Eduardo’s Story)
- June 20, 2019. Students Surprise Us: Interviews with Juliet
- Nov 25, 2019. Building Mental Representations
- Apr 1, 2019. The Cookie Recipe: Learning Math From Students
- Feb 20, 2020. Assessments: Capturing a Moment in Time
- Feb 1, 2022. Understanding Negative Numbers: In Praise of Tiny Games
- Sep 29, 2021. Making Space to Listen and Observe
- Sep 8, 2021. “Look! I showed my work!”
- Aug 20, 2019. Listening to Early Understandings of Division: “12 ÷ 5 is either -3 or 0”
On issues of equity in education:
- Feb 12, 2019. I See the Same Hands: Dealing with Discretionary Spaces
- Mar 2, 2019. Daysha at the Board: Assigning Competence
- Jan 16, 2019. “Why is the math teacher here for social studies?”
- June 26, 2020. Crime and Punishment: A Tale of Changing Beliefs
- Oct 17, 2019. The Story of Fibonacci, and the Math Ethnic Studies Framework
- Aug 17, 2021. Reducing Bias & Desmos
On inclusion and access for all in the classroom:
- Nov 26, 2018. No More Mathematical Matchmaking: The Return of the Inaba Place Value Puzzles
- Oct 19, 2021. Using Instructional Routines to Inspire Deep Thinking
- Feb 1, 2022. Understanding Negative Numbers: In Praise of Tiny Games
- Problem-Based Learning in Grade 4 Blog Series
- Jan 6, 2020. Getting Started with Problem Based Learning in Grade 4
- Jan 7, 2020. Problem Based Lesson #1: Launching Symmetry in Grade 4
- Jan 8, 2020. Problem Based Lesson #2: Making Connections with Symmetry in Grade 4
- Jan 9, 2020. Problem Based Lesson #3: Learning From One Another in Grade 4
- Jan 10, 2020. Reflections on the Problem-Based Learning (Symmetry Mini-Unit)
- Mar 4, 2019. The Striped Snake Barbecue Puzzle: Exploring “Challenge” in 3rd Grade
- Jan 5, 2019. Talking about Geometry in Kindergarten, Part 2: The Shape Hunt
- Jan 3, 2019. #TeamBlankSpace
- Aug 2, 2021. Windows and Mirrors: Fair Shares for Eid al-Adha
- Jun 28, 2021. How Much Is Enough? Using Student Feedback to Reflect on Practice
The “Low Prep, High Leverage” games collection:
- May 28, 2019. The Simple-But-High-Leverage Game Collection
- May 28, 2019. One of My Favorite Games: The Answer Is…
- May 29, 2019. One of My Favorite Games: Number Boxes
- May 30, 2019. One of My Favorite Games: The Skip Count Game
On discourse moves (including the 5 practices for orchestrating productive discussion):
- Aug 28, 2019. Choosing a Story to Tell: Examining a Lesson Close in 1st Grade
- June 16, 2017. “Which is Greener?”: Connecting Fractions, Percents, and Ratios in Sixth Grade
- Dec 11, 2021. The Half-Triangle: Attending to Precision and Building On Others’ Ideas
- Feb 8, 2017. The Intersection of Fraction Talks & Clothesline Math: Formative Assessment and the Five Practices
- Oct 3, 2017. Leading Act 3: Using the 5 Practices & Intentional Talk To Deepen Discourse About the “Whopper Jar”
- Mar 28, 2017. Making Connections during Number Talks
- January 11, 2022. Stenhouse Blog Post: Using Student Work as an Anchor for Mathematical Discourse (Something to Talk About)
#tmwyk, or talking about math with my own children:
- Jul 20, 2020. Caterpillar Math
- Jan 28, 2020. Everyone Gets a Handful: Preschoolers Explore Division
- Mar 20, 2020. Making Meaning with Arrays: More Preschooler Division
- Jul 30, 2021. Kids Mathematize the World: Arrays
Jenna Laib // Embrace the Challenge 