The first five minutes of class are arguably some of the most important, but the often overlooked time of your class period. And the last five minutes of class can literally pass without notice until you hear the jarring sound of the bell. Let’s make sure not a minute of this time is wasted! Make sure to come back this summer as we waste no time during: First 5 Minutes ...
No Time Wasted: Teacher In-Service
Teacher in-service time is going to vary greatly based on your school. Your school might start late and only have 2 days of in-service before students arrive, or you might have 2 weeks and have ample flex time built in the schedule to get ready for the school year. Either way, you still have lots to do and not a lot of time to do it, so let’s tackle some ways we will not waste a ...
No Time Wasted: Teacher Planning Period
A teacher’s planning period can be extremely productive with the right mindset and tools. In our first post in the “No Time Wasted” series, we want to provide strategies on how to best utilize every single minute of a planning period. Make sure to come back this summer as we waste no time during: When are you most productive? Before I begin, it is important to evaluate your ...
5 Ideas for Your Next Professional Learning Community
Professional learning communities or PLCs can be a treasure of knowledge for the most experienced to the most novice math teacher. In fact, I learned more about teaching math from my 5th grade counterpart than I did from professional development I attended. If you are at a small school, your PLC might be with math teachers who teach different grade levels which will support you ...
Why Students Struggle with Fractions (and what to do about it)
Why do students struggle with fractions? Are they inherently more challenging to work with than their decimal counterparts? Is there data to link students' success with fractions to their overall success in math? Let’s dive into 3 reasons why students struggle with fractions, and what we can do about it as teachers. What does the data say? Multiple studies (this study published ...
Are your 5th graders ready for the middle school transition?
If you are a 5th grade teacher wondering how to best prepare your students for middle school, then reader, keep reading. The middle school transition is drastic! Many 5th grade students will transition from straight lines in the hallway to moving freely from class to class. Not to mention - lockers, locker combinations, and making it to class on time! It is an exciting time, but it ...
Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Models
If your students would rather convert fractions to decimals then add and subtract fractions, then this post is for you! I don’t blame students for being more comfortable with decimals - I am too! But anytime I am confronted with a sewing or home improvement project, and I need to use a standard ruler, I am grateful that I can add and subtract fractions with ease. Let’s see if some of ...
15 Ideas for Math Test Prep Season
Math Test prep season is upon us. It will be only a few more weeks before teachers begin wrapping up new content and reviewing content from the year. Here are a few ideas and tips to try in your classroom to review. 1. Be Strategic Review what students actually need to know. If your state provides a blueprint, focus on the skills that make up most of the test. 2. Brain ...
Ideas for Multiplication Fact Fluency
Multiplication facts are pivotal to middle school math! I saw firsthand how my students' lack of fluency slowed them down in regards to simplifying fractions, proportional relationships, and solving equations. If that sounds like your classroom, we have compiled teacher-generated practices to help your middle school students catch up and internalize their multiplication ...
6 Strategies for Multiplying Decimals
There are so many ways to successfully teach multiplying decimals. This skill is introduced in 5th grade, so let’s talk about 4 strategies to make sure this concept is understood beyond the standard algorithm (which I love too). If you want to jump straight into the standard algorithm and call it a day, I think you will most likely feel a little frustration when students struggle ...