curriculum… Using Instructional Routines to Inspire Deep Thinking 21 Oct 201918 Oct 2019 Originally published on the Illustrative Mathematics blog (October 13, 2019). We want students to think about math deeply. Creatively. Analytically. Instead, what often happens is that students race towards quick solutions. So…
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…
in the classroom The Cookie Recipe: Learning Math from Students 1 Apr 20191 Apr 2019 Fourth grade teacher Alicia and I have a beautiful habit of doing math together when planning. We try out problems, and anticipate ways we think students.* *This work is made…
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…
five practices… Leading Act 3: Using the 5 Practices & Intentional Talk To Deepen Discourse About the “Whopper Jar” 3 Oct 20173 Oct 2017 The books 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions (Smith and Stein, 2011) and Intentional Talk (Kazemi and Hints, 2014) have helped me transform how I facilitate discussions. I try my best…
in the classroom Coherence, Round 2: The Power of Connecting Instructional Routines 20 Sep 201720 Sep 2017 For a million reasons, I love, love instructional routines*. They engage students, active thinking and discourse, and, with the structures in place, students are given the freedom to focus on…
curriculum Coherence and Telling the Story 6 Sep 201719 Sep 2017 The more I teach, the more I realize the importance of coherence. Beyond serving as a guiding principle of the common core, coherence shines a light on the pathway towards…
formative assessment… “Which is Greener?”: Connecting Fractions, Percents, and Ratios in Sixth Grade 16 Jun 201719 Sep 2017 Math should tell a story -- through the structure of units, and the structure of a year. There is no singular correct narrative; instead, I find joy in weaving different…
in the classroom Making Connections during Number Talks 28 Mar 2017 All hands shoot up in 1M, a first grade classroom. The students strain their arms, employing arched eyebrows and pursed lips to entreat me to call on them. Of course, once I…
in the classroom Inaba’s Place Value Puzzles: Making Connections and Asking “What If” 21 Feb 201713 Feb 2019 Last week, my sixth graders helped me make connections between a puzzle I used in third grade and their current work with place value, specifically multiplying and dividing by powers of…
