I’ll never forget my first elementary homeroom after getting my master’s degree, teaching fourth grade, worrying the walls of the classroom might not be inspiring enough. It was March, and I spent so much of the school year trying to keep up with my teaching, and the walls had seen little change, little attention. So,…
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…
Following the last post (Lovin on Maths), the next series of posts will cover some simple ways to both play with math and teach math. I am hoping people who haven’t discovered the joy of maths will find something to dig into. And, if you do already love math, I hope to provide language and…
In case you’e never heard “maths” rather than “math”, talk to a Brit or an Australian about the beautiful subject, and you’ll hear “maths”. Somehow it feels more loving to me. If you are a teacher or a parent or a human and you do not love math, please don’t say anything disparaging about math…
An Awkward Explanation There are so many ways to open the discussions of racism. It is a part of our world, a part of our experiences, and we must open the conversation. I am white (or peachy chocolate chip cookie- see later in the post with Colors of Us), and my experience is limited. I…