The holidays are a wonderful time to be generous and think of others, but what happens when you are asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” I usually give a blank stare. Does that ever happen to you? If so, here are a few gifts for 2020 that you might consider gifting or adding to your own wishlist. 22 MUST-HAVE GIFTS for 2020 Under $20 Cook Once Eat All Week ...
Benefits to Online Teacher Collaboration
About a month ago, we launched a Facebook group with a simple mission: connect middle school math teachers who are using Maneuvering the Middle curriculum. Teachers can often dwell in a vacuum — there were days that I barely saw another adult when I was teaching. It can feel isolating, so we set a goal that our Facebook group would be a place of teacher collaboration and ...
How to Teach Solving Equations
Solving equations is foundational for middle and high school math. Students actually have been doing this since first grade! However, students can make careless errors or struggle when it comes to following the many procedural steps required to solve an equation. The Standard In 6th grade CCSS, students are asked to solve one-step equations with positive whole numbers (6.EE.7). Seventh ...
Using Canvas in Your Classroom
Going paperless can seem like a daunting task in the classroom! Here are some tips and tricks to make the transition from handouts to an environmentally-friendly classroom easy using Canvas. For those who are unfamiliar, Canvas is a learning management software that allows for each student to access material and submit assignments, and it makes communication easier for teachers. 1. ...
Digital Activities in the Math Classroom
We don’t jump on the blog very often to talk specifically about Maneuvering the Middle curriculum. When we do, it is because we created something that has been requested by teachers all over the country! Let’s hear it for Math Digital Activities! You might have seen our post on some ideas for going paperless here, but we have spent the last few months creating our own resources for ...
6 Tips for Math Small Groups
Last summer, Noelle and Kim presented an amazing professional development on math small group Instruction at the Conference for the Advancement of Mathematical Teaching, or C.A.M.T. Noelle then hosted a webinar on the topic. We wanted to make sure this knowledge was accessible to anyone at any time, so we brought it to the blog. Watch the video on math small groups below! In ...
Teaching Proportional Relationships
Proportional relationships are ingrained in our everyday. While most students pick up on the process to solve proportions fairly quickly, there is so much foundational conceptual knowledge that we do not want to skip over. Today, I am sharing how proportional relationships go far beyond just solving for a missing number and how to set a foundation for success in Algebra. Here are all ...
5 More Teacher Organization Hacks
When I hear the word “organization,” I think of beautiful containers filled with immaculate supplies organized in rainbow color order. While that might be very pinnable, it is not often the reality in a classroom or in the life of a teacher. Function and time saved trump beauty in my classroom. I need organization to save time or to save my sanity. I asked some of my teacher friends to ...
Making the Most of Your Schoology Account
One of your biggest classroom tools is a Learning Management System. Schoology, Google Classroom, and Canvas are all Learning Management Systems (LMS) and are so helpful in the organization of your class and for going paperless. Here are five tips that can turn your Schoology page into a useful tool in your classroom! 1. Organize our home page I like to organize my Schoology ...
How to Teach Integer Operations
Are you eager for students in your classroom to conceptually understand integers and master the skills required for integer operations? Keep reading and get a freebie! STUDENT Background WITH INTEGERS If you are in a state that teaches Common Core, 6th grade is when the conceptual understanding of integers begins. Students are expected to be able to place and order integers on a ...
