Think of all of the well-known people earning honorary degrees- making graduation speeches all over the place right now. These speakers are toiling over keeping kids’ attention, imparting advice in a succinct manner, choosing their most pivotal moments to share. In this marvelous age, we can travel all over to see and hear their carefully…
Yep, “rebuttal” is just a fun word to say. Teaching kids rudimentary debate format and skills is another really fun way to think, learn, and process a year’s learning as we all stretch through late May and into June. I usually just teach “argument”, “rebuttal”, and “conclusion”. Simple structure: Preparation Details: Go on, argue and…
Everyone is spent. And, everyone is ready. Take advantage of that second one: everyone is ready. You have spent the whole year instilling the most beautiful lessons of problem-solving, intrinsic motivation, care for each other. Now, it’s time to give them space to show you. I loved telling my students that if I had done…
We can easily forget that kids are kids, that kids are people. Our minds see lessons that must be planned and tests that must be graded instead of humans. Well, kids are kids, and, at our best, we are kids too. And, for kids, for us, there is nothing like 10 minutes of fresh air…
A day to celebrate math?! Yes, please! It doesn’t matter the age, the understanding a circle’s circumference- celebrate Pi Day! One of my favorite Pi Day activities for 3rd grade and above: Pi Day Activity Tools: And there are SOOOO many fun websites to explore talking about Pi. It might be fun to discuss good…
It’s one of those times of year when it becomes glaringly apparent that we all need a little fresh air, a solid dose of sunshine, and for everyone to have some space. It’s one of those times of year when you have pushed your drained self to write a pretty solid lesson. Then, you walk…
At this point, it’s hard to see any photo without seeing math, right? Look at all the math in this photo- number of windows, pattern of road tiles, groupings to find 10, planters, benches, oh my! Okay- I feel like I have been taking you down my street of math fascination for a bit- some…
Okay- are you still with me? Are you beginning to write love letters to the number 10? I hope that even if you are a mathematician, you enjoy the brain exercises of trying to see things in a different way. It’s what teachers need to do all day, every day- brain calisthenics to try to…
Whether you’re actually loving math or not, it’s a really good statement to put in your back pocket: I LOVE MATH/S. Take it out, and say it in front of yourself, then in front of your friends. It’ll start to feel normal- and we can start a movement. I love math, and I am good…
If you’re teaching from the start with Ten Frames (appropriate exploration for pre-K to adult): 1st: Count the boxes in a blank ten frame a number of times with your students- from right to left, left to right, top to bottom, upside down. Prove that they can rely on there being ten spaces when they…