curriculum… Using Diagrams to Build and Extend Student Understanding 16 Dec 20197 Dec 2019 Co-authored by Kristin Gray (@MathMinds) Originally published on the Illustrative Mathematics Blog (November 25, 2019) Take a moment to think about the value of each expression below. $latex \frac{1}{4}\times \frac{1}{3}$…
assessment… Choosing a Story to Tell: Examining a Lesson Close in 1st Grade 28 Aug 201928 Aug 2019 I had planned to spend my first time in Room 12 observing the classroom teacher and getting to know her students. Instead, the teacher texted me the day before to…
games… One of My Favorite Games: Number Boxes 29 May 20196 Jan 2020 This game is part of my "simple but high leverage" collection of games that are flexible, engaging, and easy to prep. Others include The Answer Is... and the Skip Count Game. I…
in the classroom The Striped Snake Barbecue Puzzle: Exploring “Challenge” in 3rd Grade 4 Mar 20193 Mar 2019 Who gets to be challenged in class? How does the work we give students impact their status (or how they perceive their status) in the classroom? Meet Calvin You've probably…
in the classroom Daysha at the Board: Assigning Competence 2 Mar 201913 Jun 2019 "Sit down, Daysha... Daysha." Six-year-old Daysha shot me an icy glare while she leisurely pumped hand sanitizer onto her open palm. The rest of her class was all sitting on…
education… “I see the same hands”: Dealing with Discretionary Spaces 12 Feb 201912 Feb 2019 The teacher frowned as she looked out at her 25 students, only 3 of which had their hands raised -- the same three students who always had their hands raised."I see…
assessment… What does it mean to be “struggling” in math class? (Eduardo’s Story) 5 Feb 20195 Feb 2019 It was a sea of dots. Eduardo's work for 47 + 27 Over and over again, for both computational and story problems, third grade student Eduardo drew dots. Eduardo's work,…
curriculum… “Why is the math teacher here for social studies?” 16 Jan 201915 Jan 2019 I slipped quietly into Room 304, trying not to distract the fourth graders, who were finishing up a writing assignment. I set up my laptop to project to the white…
curriculum… #TeamBlankSpace 3 Jan 2019 Every time a child says, 'I don't believe in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan (1904) When a work page is overly rigid…
in the classroom No More Mathematical Matchmaking: The Return of the Inaba Place Value Puzzles 26 Nov 201827 Nov 2018 When I first started teaching, I believed in being a mathematical matchmaker. I thought that differentiation meant giving students different tiered assignments -- it seemed much better than pushing every…
assessment… Presuming Competence: Using Clinical Interviews to Support Classroom Instruction 13 Nov 201827 Nov 2018 "She's not on an IEP, but she's struggling in class. What should I do?" I don't know the student -- Alejandra, or Ali, for short -- very well, so I arranged…
workshop Strategy 3: Use High-Leverage Instructional Routines (Fessenden/Laib NCTM Session) 8 Nov 201827 Nov 2018 In early October, I presented at NCTM Hartford with the incomparable Heidi Fessenden (@heidifessenden / blog). Our session was called "Strategies for Cultivating Mathematical Thinking for All Learners." Slides available…
child study… Cultivating a Listener’s Mindset — with ELs 10 Jun 201827 Nov 2018 In a post last January, I wrote about how the "mental load" teachers carry can impact their ability to listen to their students. ...but listening is critical. It's especially critical when…
