When another school year is about to come to a close, teachers everywhere gear up for the final weeks of school with end-of-year activities that bring that perfect balance of calm and celebration. That balance can be hard to find, but here you’ll find a collection of resources that you
Are you looking to add more excitement to your math test prep approach this year? Worksheets, practice tests, and test-taking strategies still have their place in any test prep routine, but there’s a more engaging and effective way to prepare students for standardized tests. Project-based learning can bring life to
Are you looking for a fun and engaging way for your students to practice their math skills? All four of these unique 2nd grade math projects are sure to grab your students’ attention and build their math confidence. From competing in a measuring competition to planning the birthday schedule of
If I had to guess, your telling time unit tops the list when it comes to a great divide in student understanding. Every year when you look at your pre-assessment data, it probably looks a lot like this: As a result, your telling time unit requires SO much differentiation. These
Using the think pair share strategy can provide time for students to collaborate productively, have meaningful two-way conversations, and present their thinking in a way that is clear and powerful. Oftentimes, our default partnering strategy for think pair share moments is to have students talk to the person sitting closest
Whether you teach math small groups or want to meet one-on-one with students after you’ve released them to work independently, you’ve probably had that feeling of “small group overwhelm”. You know…that feeling when the students who are supposed to be working independently…are…not…independent. Instead of focusing on meeting with students for
Back-To-School season always means your to-do list is a mile long and one of the most challenging things about prepping for a new school year is that most of that list can only get done once you have your classroom keys, your new class list, and the other resources you’re
Teaching your geometry unit in elementary school can make you feel like you’re the teacher from the Peanuts cartoon. Everything you say is just “wah-wah-womp-wah”…in one ear and out the other. The relationships between shapes and all the vocabulary can be difficult for young learners to grasp and often require
Teaching students how to measure length naturally lends itself to a hands-on learning experience. But you may be ready to take things up a notch from your go-to classroom measurement scavenger hunt. These measurement activities create a more meaningful, engaging experience that connects this real-world skill to your classroom. All
Classroom jobs are one of the most powerful tools for boosting students’ ownership of their learning space. When students are trusted with the responsibility of completing tasks that are substantial and meaningful contributions to their classroom, they instantly feel like a more valued members of their classroom community. You may
One of the greatest roadblocks when identifying and modeling fractions on a number line is the ability to visualize how to partition a number line into equal shares. A powerful way to strengthen this skill is to give your students time to physically manipulate a number line. The game Number
What do you think of when you hear/read the phrase “hands-on fraction unit”? When you first hear the words “fractions” and “hands-on” your mind probably jumps right to making fraction strips with your students or those magnetic pie pieces that you attach to your whiteboard while you teach students about
The key to correcting morning work in a way that’s easy and seamless is to use a format that’s consistent each day so your brain doesn’t have to adjust to a new format as you’re checking student work. This also makes it easier for your students to complete their morning
A calm and consistent morning routine in your classroom sets the tone for the day. You will notice your students are happier, more peaceful, and far more productive when you start each day with the same routine. A consistent format for your students’ morning work is one of the most
If you want to incorporate a project based learning component to one of your 3rd grade math units this year, but you’re having trouble deciding on a project, you’ve come to the right place! All eight of these math projects are designed with third graders (and their busy teachers) in
Project based learning can help you transform your 3rd grade geometry unit into the most memorable math unit of the school year. Your students are going to love applying their knowledge about the characteristics of quadrilaterals as they complete the project Quadrilateral City! Rather than spending time on worksheet after
Your telling time unit is the perfect opportunity to connect math to the real world in a creative way. Rather than having your students complete worksheet after worksheet in an effort to master reading clocks and telling time, bring your math unit to life with an engaging hands-on project! If
As a third grade teacher, it sometimes feels like you are teaching multiplication and division skills for nearly half the year. While students work to understand all the properties of multiplication and memorize all their math facts, you may feel like they need a little dose of fun to mix
We have reached the final week of our Math Workshop Q&A Series. This week I’ve gathered the most commonly-asked questions I receive about the Hands-On Rotation of Math Workshop. Here’s a refresher on the question categories I’ve shared each week during this blog post series: Mini Lessons (Week 1) Meet
We are heading into week 3 of our Math Workshop Q&A Series. This week I’ve gathered the most commonly-asked questions I receive about the At Your Seat Rotation and the Technology Rotation of Math Workshop. Here’s a refresher on the questions I’ve been focusing on each week during this blog
When another school year is about to come to a close, teachers everywhere gear up for the final weeks of school with end-of-year activities that bring that perfect balance of calm and celebration. That balance can be hard to find, but here you’ll find a collection of resources that you
Are you looking to add more excitement to your math test prep approach this year? Worksheets, practice tests, and test-taking strategies still have their place in any test prep routine, but there’s a more engaging and effective way to prepare students for standardized tests. Project-based learning can bring life to
Are you looking for a fun and engaging way for your students to practice their math skills? All four of these unique 2nd grade math projects are sure to grab your students’ attention and build their math confidence. From competing in a measuring competition to planning the birthday schedule of
If I had to guess, your telling time unit tops the list when it comes to a great divide in student understanding. Every year when you look at your pre-assessment data, it probably looks a lot like this: As a result, your telling time unit requires SO much differentiation. These
Using the think pair share strategy can provide time for students to collaborate productively, have meaningful two-way conversations, and present their thinking in a way that is clear and powerful. Oftentimes, our default partnering strategy for think pair share moments is to have students talk to the person sitting closest
Whether you teach math small groups or want to meet one-on-one with students after you’ve released them to work independently, you’ve probably had that feeling of “small group overwhelm”. You know…that feeling when the students who are supposed to be working independently…are…not…independent. Instead of focusing on meeting with students for
Back-To-School season always means your to-do list is a mile long and one of the most challenging things about prepping for a new school year is that most of that list can only get done once you have your classroom keys, your new class list, and the other resources you’re
Teaching your geometry unit in elementary school can make you feel like you’re the teacher from the Peanuts cartoon. Everything you say is just “wah-wah-womp-wah”…in one ear and out the other. The relationships between shapes and all the vocabulary can be difficult for young learners to grasp and often require
Teaching students how to measure length naturally lends itself to a hands-on learning experience. But you may be ready to take things up a notch from your go-to classroom measurement scavenger hunt. These measurement activities create a more meaningful, engaging experience that connects this real-world skill to your classroom. All
Classroom jobs are one of the most powerful tools for boosting students’ ownership of their learning space. When students are trusted with the responsibility of completing tasks that are substantial and meaningful contributions to their classroom, they instantly feel like a more valued members of their classroom community. You may
One of the greatest roadblocks when identifying and modeling fractions on a number line is the ability to visualize how to partition a number line into equal shares. A powerful way to strengthen this skill is to give your students time to physically manipulate a number line. The game Number
What do you think of when you hear/read the phrase “hands-on fraction unit”? When you first hear the words “fractions” and “hands-on” your mind probably jumps right to making fraction strips with your students or those magnetic pie pieces that you attach to your whiteboard while you teach students about