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…
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…
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…
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 There Are Only Two Ways: Making Conjectures in Second Grade 27 Jan 201723 Feb 2017 Today, I led a quick "finger math" warm up in a second grade classroom. In honor of reaching "half way day" -- the half way point in the school year! --…
