I was at the dentist the other day when I shared that I taught math. Like clockwork, the dentist shared that he was in fact a ‘math person.’ This is a common occurrence although most respond that they are not ‘math people.’ When did everyone split themselves into two camps of math ability? I am really asking because I do not know, and I would like to rectify this as soon as possible. ...
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Creating Positive Classroom Culture
Whenever I tell people that I teach at a middle school, people respond with “Middle school? I could never do that,” or “Middle schoolers are so awkward,” which is exactly why I LOVE it! Middle schoolers have the best sense of humor, are unintentionally funny, and they still think your jokes (well, sometimes) are funny. These students bring me so much JOY. Coming from someone who ...
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Tips for Implementing Math Small Group Instruction
What do you do with the kids that “don’t get it”? I think this is a constant battle that we face as teachers. Sometimes it even keeps us up at night. Today I wanted to share tips for implementing math small group instruction. If your classroom functions like mine, a typical class period might consist of a warm up, guided notes, a class activity that is simultaneously accessible ...
5 Professional Development Books for Math Teachers
I always envision summer as this super relaxing time where I lay by the pool and read books. Reality is not quite as dreamy, as there is still laundry to do and kiddos to corral. However, I do love sharpening my skills and picking up a few professional development books. Based on your responses and the questions I get via email, I am going to focus my professional development reading on ...
Teacher Appreciation
For seven years, I was a teacher with no kids. My only perspective of teacher appreciation was that of a teacher. At one school, the PTA went all out, catered lunches, gift bags, etc. At another, we didn’t have a PTA, and so it was a quiet week where we got to wear jeans. Now as a parent, teacher appreciation has a new meaning. With the explosion of Pinterest and all things cute, ...
Ratios in the Classroom
I always loved teaching ratios. Students often did well with the concept, I was able to incorporate fun activities, and we quickly moved on to proportions. With the changes in the Common Core Standards, students are expected to have a much deeper understanding of ratios. 6.RP.1 Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two ...
5 Teacher Organization Tips for Middle School
Over spring break, I was able to visit my sister, Mrs. Brack, and see her classroom. I love seeing other people’s classrooms and how they are organized. She is not only a fabulous math teacher but crafty and organized. I thought I would share 5 Teacher Organization Tips for Middle School. Some of these totally apply to any middle school classroom, but a few are ...
How to use MailChimp for Teachers
Have you ever gotten an email from a parent who was upset about a grade or a missing assignment? Maybe they said that they weren’t aware of a project. It’s not pleasant, and it is a struggle in middle school where students are asserting their independence and taking ownership of their learning. Today, I am sharing how to use MailChimp for teachers, a service for improving and ...
5 Evernote Tips for Teachers
I love composition notebooks, I used them in my classroom all of the time. My own personal composition notebook traveled to parent conferences, team meetings, professional developments, and home. Everything changed when I started using my phone for reminders and appointments. I found that I always had my phone and somehow that composition book was MIA. A colleague of mine always ...