Anyone who has taught a day or two can tell you that it is a rare event that you might teach a new concept and 100% of your students master said concept. I would say that 99.99% of the time, there is a student or a group of students who are not ready for mastery. Potentially they have gaps in the skills needed to master the concept, or maybe they just need more time. Today, I am ...
Search Results for: fraction
5 Strategies for Building Number Sense
Last week, I shared my love for the book Developing Numerical Fluency and broke down the idea of number sense. This week, I wanted to share five strategies for building number sense in the middle school classroom. Upon preparing for this blog post, I did quite a bit of research and was disappointed to see that the vast majority of books on numerical fluency are geared towards K-5 ...
Number Sense in Middle School
"I struggle with finding activities to do with all levels of intervention in the classroom. For example, this year in 7th grade math, I had students who couldn't do multi-digit addition and subtraction, while a few others were flying through it. I try to always review some 6th grade skills in the beginning and then review and reteach 7th grade skills I've covered, but they ...
The Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
You may already be familiar with the gradual release of responsibility model for teaching and learning: “I do, we do, you do it together, you do it alone.” You may be incorporating it on your campus, in your classroom, or with your small group. Today, I want to share a little bit about what the gradual release of responsibility model is, different activities that support it, how to ...
Why You Should Attend a Math Conference
If you are reading this blog, then chances are that you love teaching; more specifically, you love teaching math! Teaching and teaching math are a multi-faceted skills that require us to constantly learn: new strategies, new techniques, new ways to use intervention, new models, and the list goes on and on. Math conferences are a place for teachers to sharpen their skills and learn from ...
Extension Ideas for Early Finishers
Even when working with a 50-minute class period, there will be times when students complete their work quickly and need something “to do” for the last few minutes of class. If you have a longer class period, then likely this happens more frequently, and it’s something to be prepared for. If not, then you will end up saying something like, “Work on something quietly at your desk.” ...
Percents
Standards Included: 6.4E, 6.4F, 6.4G, 6.5B and 6.5C This percents unit will help students master the skills of modeling fractions, decimals, and percents, using equivalent fractions, decimals, and percents to show equal parts, and generating equivalent forms of fractions, decimals, and percents. Students will be able to apply these concepts by solving real-world percent ...
Positive Rational Numbers
Standards Included: 6.3A, 6.3B and 6.3E This positive rational numbers unit will help students master the skills of multiplying and dividing rational numbers fluently, recognizing the impact of reciprocals and determining how a quantity is affected when multiplied by a fraction. Unit Overview Outlines the big ideas covered in the unit as well as essential questions to ...
How to Teach Part, Whole, and Percent
When I begin to teach part, whole, and percent problems, I explain to my students that there is nothing that I teach in my class that I use more often in my real life. Students reflect on where they see percents: the grocery store, sales and discounts, and their grades. 6.RP.A.3.C Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); ...
Using Google Forms in Math
If you have access to technology in your classroom, and you aren’t using Google Forms to collect work from students, then this post is for you! My school is increasing the number of Chromebooks per grade level, so I will be able to use Google Forms in math more proactively. I researched in preparation for this next school year, and I thought I would share my newfound knowledge with you ...