Math

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Ditto that Barbie.

Math is even harder to teach.

At our district, we teach using the Everyday Math Program.

If you are unfamiliar with the curriculum, here is a synopsis: If you look at the "Big Picture" it is a great program, providing intense spiraling of skills, but if you glance at a day in the life of a first grade teacher, it looks more like a nightmare.

After 2 years of teaching with it, and trying almost every possible teaching format, I am here to announce that it cannot be done I still haven't found the exact formula- BUT I am getting closer!

What is the most effective way to teach math in first grade?

What have you tried that works?

What have you tried that doesn't work?

What about centers? whole group lessons? small groups? conferences? math tubs?

Here's what it looks like for me at this point in the school year:

Calendar Morning Work (5 minutes) 

Check calendar work/ addition speed drill (10 minutes)

Math Mini Lesson (10 minutes if I'm short winded- which never happens!)

 Math Guided Practice/Independent Practice in their math Journal (10 minutes)

RECESS BREAK (aka put my head back on and find all of my hair that I pulled out)

Center Rotation 1 (teach small group or one on one)

Center Rotation 2 (teach small group or one on one)

The way that we introduced Centers this year was much like the way we introduced The Daily Five in Reading this year.  There are 4 skills that we knew our firsties needed to practice weekly.  We wrote out an anchor chart for each and gradually introduced them to our students- building their stamina for each.

M-math manipulatives

A- math alone

T- math together

H- helping build math

They rotate to 2 centers a day, which *almost* means they get through everything twice a week. (I've added iPods and computers to the mix which slows things down a bit).

Here's more on the actual centers:

Math Manipulatives is a place where students can explore certain math tools for learning.  I usually put the manipulative here a few weeks before we use it in a lesson.  This cuts down on the desire to play with the tool during the lesson. Brilliant!

Math Alone began with students scrolling on a 100s chart.  I have to brag and say I have students who are currently working on numbers past 1,000!  We have since introduced their math journal and math boxes to the center.

Math Together is for playing math games with a partner.  I am thankful that Everyday Math provides a lot of game ideas.

Helping Build Math is exactly what it sounds.  In the beginning, when our first graders had not gained the independence, we included puzzles.  Currently, we have students building linking cube patterns, but the possibilities are endless.

I  still have not perfected pulling my small groups yet.  It seems there is always something that takes my attention and squishes my teaching time.

With the help of this book:

I plan on mastering the art of teaching math. 

How do you make math work in your classroom?  

Friday Flashback

I am linking up with Teaching Maddeness for a look back at what has happened in the classroom!

Here is a week in photos:

In math, we introduced IPods into our center rotations!
Hip Hip Hurray! 

We learned a new game called Penny Nickel Exchange.

We also added computer centers to our math rotations!  It was a BIG week in First Grade!
(Website: Spacey Math)

Math Puzzles Review.

Listen to Reading with big books!
*Favorite photo*

Word Work with Wiki Sticks

Sorting Letters, Words, and Sentences to get ready for next week's focus lesson:
complete sentences.
(I found this freebie from Heather's Heart.  Click here: Pete the Cat Sort Freebie to get your copy!
 I love her blog and you will too!)

In writing, we added our Special Places Map into our Writer's Notebook!
This firstie picked to add the library.  :)
This idea was inspired by Leach Teach.  Go check out her blog.  You will LOVE her! 

In Science we focused in on Oceans.
Here we made a replica of the Ocean floor complete with mountains, valleys, high and low tides,
and currents (with straws).  

It was a busy week! Add a new student to the mix and trying to teach him 34 days worth of routines and instruction! I am one tired teacher.  But I *LOVE* my students.

They are super sweet and helpful!  Especially to the new student. I cannot tell you how many times I heard someone helping him figure out our routines in First Grade.  It made my job so much easier!  I am so thankful to have such a sweet bunch this year!


Now I am off to see one of my firsties star in his first soccer game.  He invited me at recess yesterday and told me all about how he is going to get to play goalie and wear fancy gloves that makes his hands sweaty! I love their honesty!

What have you done this week?

Link up with me here:   *Flashback Friday*

Math Exchanges, A Book Report

How do you teach math?  What kind of system do you have set in place for your students?  Do you teach the whole class, small groups, one on one (let's be real.), centers, a workshop approach?  Please do tell! 


I have tried it all (almost).  This next year I am leaning towards a workshop approach.  


This book is a quick read, and one I would recommend to fellow teachers!  I wanted to post about the key learning points to remember.  All credit is due to Wedekind.  All throughout the book, she is connecting her Math Workshop to the structure of Reading/Writing Workshop.  This really helped me to get a picture of what it will look like in my room.  I'm still not sure how it will look, sound, and feel, but I am open to ideas.  Here are a few that I want to implement next year!

1. We are all mathematicians:  Identity-Building Statements 
-Mathematicians are curious.  
-Mathematicians ask themselves questions.
-Mathematicians need lots of time to think, think, think.
-Mathematicians look for challenging problems in their world to figure out.
-Mathematicians persevere.
-Mathematicians make lots of mistakes, but they keep on thinking.
-Mathematicians change their ideas and strategies and come up with new ones.  Then they change their ideas again.  This is part of being a mathematician.
-Mathematicians talk to and question other mathematicians in order to help themselves understand.
-Mathematicians do not always agree!  Disagreeing respectfully is part of being a mathematician.
-Mathematicians work together. They explain their ideas and thinking. They listen to the thinking of other mathematicians.

I found this very similar to What Do Writer's Do anchor chart and Reader's unit of study.  This provides a good outline of broad themes I want my students to take away from during math time.

2. "Math Exchanges emphasize change.  This may sound simple, but the purpose of meeting with small groups of mathematicians is to produce change and growth in their thinking.  Too often, teachers meet with groups for the sake of meeting ('It's time to pull these five kids together!  What should we talk about?')  and without a specific focus.  They may have the vague notion that meeting with small groups of mathematicians (or perhaps only meeting with struggling mathematicians) is a good practice.  Math exchanges put the focus on planned, purposeful exchanges between mathematicians of different abilities." 

I don't even want to admit how many times I have met with a group of students for the sake of meeting.  This paragraph knocked the wind out of me.  Guilty.

3. "As a teacher, it has taken me time to work to a place of comfort with math exchanges.  I started out having math exchanges with two students and working with only one group per day.  Even now at the beginning of the year I may spend so much time focusing on setting up the expectations of a math workshop that I only work with one group per day through October.  I've learned to be okay with this.  I have learned from experience and practiced to trust in teaching deeply within math exchanges.  Students are still learning throughout all the parts of the math workshop.  It is okay to start small.  Give yourself the time to explore how you will best facilitate these math exchanges."

I feel the need to print this up and post it in my lesson plans for the first few weeks of school.  Breathe. Slowly.  Do not rush.  Routines. Routines. Routines. Breathe.  Think baby steps.  My kids need clear expectations and practice before I can expect to pull small groups.  Any other firsties with me?

4. "Even though this is a relatively independent time for thinking (during small group practice), I do not usually discourage children from watching each other or even mimicking what other students do or write.  In the beginning of the year, children unfamiliar with math exchanges may complain, "She's copying my ideas!"  or try to shield their papers from others in the group.  I simply reply with one of the mathematician statements we have practiced: "Mathematicians learn from watching, listening and talking to, and working with other mathematicians."


Why haven't I ever approached it like this? I get so freaked out when they are looking at each others work, but it truly is a natural process mathematicians go through.  Obviously, if a student continues this behavior I would talk to them about it.  The author even suggests stating that you notice the student thinking about the other students ideas and inviting them to ask questions about their strategies.  Brilliant!

5. Say "strike a pose"to get students attention.

6.  No hand raising is allowing during sharing/reflecting whole group or small group teaching time.   Students sit in a circle.  I plan on teaching my students how to be attentive to pauses in the conversations that shows when someone is finished with an idea.  Teaching students how to restate what the previous person said will allow for better understanding and a more direct conversation flow.

7. The last chapter titled "Reflection and Self-Monitoring" had, by far, the most impact on me personally as a teacher.  The author talks about slowing down our thinking in order to go deeper, teaching self monitoring, and the difference between content reflection (how you grew in a specific concept or strategy) and process reflection (how you grew as a mathematician through behaviors and practices). She offers a cute end of year self reflective project and tips on how to be a better reflective teacher.  Journaling about my teaching life-what feel right, what I'm struggling with, what's really going well- I hope those things find a place in this blog.  I also want to find a reflection partner.  Meeting for breakfast (or happy hour!) once a week for intentional teacher talk sounds like a WONDERFUL idea! I will need to be careful not to turn this time into a gripe fest (as it so easily does!) or a gossip fest.  I love the idea of chatting about a book or lesson plans over coffee.  


The last few pages, titled "Living a Rich Mathematical life" really tugged at my heart.  


After trying to sum it up in my own words, I will have to refer back to the book.  She writes it beautifully.

"Regie Routman (2008) writes about the importance of living a life full of experiences that we can take back into the classroom to share with our students.  One particular story Routman tells in Teaching Essentials hit home with me one year in the late fall when I was feeling overwhelmed and not wholly satisfied with my teaching.  Routman writes, 'One of the things I love best in the summer is to make fruit pies and tarts.  When the berries in the Northwest are luscious an the stone fruits are beautifully ripe, I create all kinds of delicious and gorgeous desserts.  It's sheer fun" (2008, 129).  When I first read this I snapped the book shut.  'How does this woman have time for berry picking with all the teaching and writing she does?  Why can't I do that too?'  I demanded.  I opened the book again to reread and found this sentence: 'I am a more interesting person if I have stories to tell that are not just about school' (127).  I ordered this thought and asked myself, 'How can I teach my students to live a rich, full life inside and outside of the classroom if I am not doing this myself?"

My number one goal this year in teaching students is to encourage them to live a rich. full life inside and outside of the classroom.  In order to carry this goal out, I must practice what I preach.


Here's to long, warm, Texas bike rides, sewing it all wrong and taking the thread out stitch by stitch, making new friends, and not having to be perfect!


Cheers.