Easy math activities - is this an oxymoron? It doesn't have to be. You don’t have to be a teacher long to see that a worksheet full of problems does not incite the excitement and enthusiasm of many of your students. However, try any of these easy math activities, and you will experience unprecedented levels of excitement from your class. Now that I am a parent, I see this ...
4 Test Review Tips for Teachers
The end of the semester is upon us. Let’s talk about some best practices for test review. First and foremost, I support best teaching practices, which involve monitoring your students throughout the year, consistently spiraling skills, and striving for high mastery. USE DATA TO REVIEW STRATEGICALLY Look at collective student data and determine the weak spots. What ...
Essential Math Manipulatives
Math manipulatives are some of the best ways to introduce a new mathematical concept and are the foundation of the C-R-A. They help to form a solid mathematical foundation as students move from concrete understanding to representational to abstract. By providing the opportunity to concretely work with the manipulatives, students are able to develop a conceptual understanding rather ...
Getting Started with Math Stations
Math Stations, when done correctly, can solve many classroom challenges. Math stations can meet the needs of various learners, provide practice on spiraled concepts, and it puts the responsibility of learning on the students. Seems like a win-win! In addition, technology has made personalized learning easier than ever! You may be eager to try math stations (or math centers), but are ...
Should Teachers Assign Homework?
Should teachers assign homework? Should you assign homework to your students? The answer to that question is dependent on a variety of factors, so let’s dive in. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY What is the purpose of homework? What is your purpose behind assigning homework? Here is a quick brainstorm of how you might answer this question: Homework is required.I ...
The October Slump: Survival Tips
October is just around the corner! While there are so many fun things that autumn brings, it can be a challenging month to be a teacher. Let’s dive into some ways that we can thrive during this month. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Why is October so challenging? October is just days away. Labor day was 16 work days ago, and Thanksgiving is approximately 30 work days ...
Organizing a Substitute Binder
Preparing for a substitute used to be so easy! Ha - I am joking, of course. We had no idea how easy it used to be. Now with COVID, quarantining, and technology, it is pretty complicated. Schools have a variety of procedures regarding substitutes, and I also know that you might be lucky to even have a substitute. There are schools out there that rely on teacher’s planning periods ...
4 Ways to Make Math Relevant
We encounter math on a daily basis, but it can be a challenge for students to connect what they learn in class to the outside world. Here are 4 ways teachers can engage students by making math relevant to their lives. LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY 1. Share Your Enthusiasm The key to modeling what it looks like to be a math person is to share your excitement! Excitement is ...
Teacher Desk Supplies You Need to Survive
Teachers spend 8-10 hours a day at school. We need to be prepared for anything and everything. We also want to keep students from having to make unnecessary trips to the office for things that we can easily store in our classroom. Maybe you will use these items never or 100 times. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared! (Check out the comments for some more great suggestions.) Listen ...
4 Time Wasters to Stop as a Teacher
The beginning of the school year is when we have the best intentions for how the school year will go. Let’s keep this energy up by committing to stop doing these 4 time wasters. These time wasters lead to stress and burn out - I can personally attest! LISTEN ON: APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY Point 1: Stop Bringing Your Work Home This may seem like the opposite of a time waster since ...