"My kids don't have number sense!" I hear this all. of. the. time. John SanGiovanni says it well: "It's the perfect problem. It isn't a standard. It isn't a problem or a lesson in your textbook." Although it isn't those things, it is at the root of all the...
Oh the Facts They Don’t Know No matter where I go, what state I am in, or the demographics of the district or the school, I am asked the same question, “But what about when they don’t know their facts?” I agree, knowing math facts sure does...
PART 3 How do we prevent the shut down in our mathematics classrooms? Simply, treat mathematicians like you treat writers. I find it fascinating the content areas where we are more apt to allow students to be creative, to work on their craft before submitting a ‘final’ idea,...
Part 1: Having Empathy as a Math Teacher There is more to student engagement in math class than just having good classroom management. Sure, all of your students may be behaving well, but are they engaged, participating, and confidently interacting during your lesson? I believe student engagement...
Recently, I viewed Simon Sinek’s video on intensity vs. consistency. He gives the analogy of teeth brushing and the importance of consistency vs. intensity. If you’re like my son, you prefer intensity. The night before the dentist he scrubs his teeth with a renewed sense...
If your math class consists of your students grabbing a workbook as soon as they walk in and then proceeding to just go over math problems one by one, without a glance at your teacher’s edition, I am asking you to step away from the...
Your learning objectives are killing your learning. Yes, I said it, but before you call the math police, hear me out. Posting or showing your students the math objective for the day is not helping your lesson. It’s actually hurting your students’ learning. I find that math teachers...
I will never ever forget a conversation I had my second year of teaching with a veteran teacher. She was a delightful teacher who was well-liked and popular amongst the parents. Every year, she seemed to get troubled or difficult children. Whether it was the...
There isn’t anything quite like the beginning of the new school year. Although we are sad to see the summer leave, there is a certain excitement around new school years that is hard to match. In fact, my son had a second-grade teacher who came...
Note to my teacher friends: this post contains affiliate links to books I own, love, and recommend. Should I run my math classroom using small group instruction? When should I do them? Every day? I get these questions A LOT. I find the teacher universe is divided...