education… Problem Based Lesson #3: Learning From One Another in Grade 4 9 Jan 20208 Jan 2020 This is a post in a series about problem based instruction in fourth grade -- centering on a series of lessons classroom teacher Claire* and I taught about symmetry. This…
education… Problem Based Lesson #2: Making Connections with Symmetry in Grade 4 8 Jan 20208 Jan 2020 This is a post in a series about problem based instruction in fourth grade -- centering on a series of lessons classroom teacher Claire* and I taught about symmetry. This…
education… Problem Based Lesson #1: Launching Symmetry in Grade 4 7 Jan 20205 Jan 2020 This is a post in a series about problem based instruction in fourth grade -- centering on a series of lessons classroom teacher Claire* and I taught about symmetry. Part…
education… Getting Started with Problem Based Learning in Grade 4 6 Jan 20205 Jan 2020 What are the conditions that inspire teachers to take on problem based instruction? This isn't a story about how you can determine when a teacher -- novice or experienced --…
education… The Story of Fibonacci, and the Math Ethnic Studies Framework 17 Oct 201917 Oct 2019 In the late 12th century, a young Leonardo Bonacci -- better known as Fibonacci -- traveled with his merchant father from their home in Italy to Algeria (North Africa). They…
education… When Our Beliefs Become Compromised… (part 1) 30 Jul 201928 Aug 2019 When are the times in my own teaching that my belief in kids and communities is compromised? - Cornelius Minor (@MisterMinor) Heinemann Teacher Tour, July 27, 2019 Cornelius isn't a…
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…
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…
workshop Strategy 2: Assign Competence (Fessenden/Laib NCTM Session) 7 Nov 20186 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…
workshop Strategy 1: Reword the SMPs in Student-Friendly Language (Fessenden/Laib NCTM Session) 6 Nov 20185 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…
workshop NCTM Hartford 2018: Strategies for Cultivating Mathematical Thinking for All Learners (Fessenden & Laib) 5 Nov 20188 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…
education Doris 23 Jan 201817 Nov 2019 A student from my first ever fourth grade class -- now in his 20s -- contacted me on Facebook today. He was glad that I remembered him. "u and mrs…
education The New Kid 16 Oct 201717 Nov 2019 In a nutshell: my district offers a fellowship grant each year for six teachers to spend a (paid) week writing about teaching over the summer. I am never fully certain…
