Mathematicians at Work

I wanted a time during the day that the students could engage in mathematical activities that would support our previous learning in class.  Throughout the years I have tried many types of math stations/centers/rotations and many have worked very well.  This year I wanted to form partnerships in which mathematical understandings and discussions could take place at a deeper level. In the past, I think students thought they were just playing games rather than applying the strategies and understandings they have gained during our lessons. When students are grouped in twos, I feel that it is easier for both voices to be heard.  At the beginning of the year I had 22 students and wanting groupings of 2, that left me with 11 different activities.  I also knew that I wanted to give this time a title that was a reflection of what they really were doing.  So rather than centers or stations we called it Mathematicians at Work.

Mathematicians at Work

I am blessed to have a lot of time for mathematics...a full 75 minutes!  If our time was allotted differently I would tighten everything much more (see alternate schedule below).

Our schedule:

10 minutes - Number Talks

10-15 minutes -  Mini-lesson

20 minutes - Guided/Independent Practice

20-30 minutes - Mathematicians at Work (Small groups/Conferring)

5-10 minutes - Share

Alternate schedule:

5 minutes - Number Talks

10 minutes -  Mini-lesson

15 minutes - Guided/Independent Practice

20-25 minutes - Mathematicians at Work (Small groups/Conferring)

5 minutes - Share 

Here is what I have included in our Mathematicians at Work during our place value unit:

Click on the link to pick up all of these here: MathematiciansatWorkActivities

For this activity you will need numbers written on small bits of paper and crumbled up.

Secret Code

The materials needed for Monster Math are a small box, a spinner and 10 bottle caps.  Write numbers 0-9 on the bottle caps and place in small box.  Write 10 more, 10 less, 100 more, 100 less on spinner and you are ready!

I quickly made targets three targets, one for hundreds, another for tens and the last for ones.  I printed on different colored paper and  bought googly eyes.

 This activity is based off Bozo's Grand Prize Game. You will need small buckets (or any container), some post-its to label and ping-pong balls.  Write numbers on the ping-pong balls.

This activity was part of a freebie from last year.  Click on the link to pick it up:  Adding and Subtracting with Place Value

This is a great activity that gives me a lot of information about each learner.  They take turns being the teacher.  I get to hear their mathematical talk, hear how they formulate questions, watch them coach students, see their accuracy with problem solving and hear all about strategies.  The students LOVE this activity!

Get a deck of cards or two.  Write numbers on the jacks, queens, kings, aces, etc. and it is all set.  On this particular day, one student was absent so their partner joined in to play War.

You will need two cookie sheets, two tops and print out a grid of numbers on two papers.

You can tell that Mathematicians at Work have simplistic activities but the students really do get to apply their understanding of the concept.  Everyday we change to a new activity.  Once we finish a rotation we do it one more time.  So it last for 22 days...which is super nice for planning and preparing.

The other great thing about Mathematicians at Work is that I get time EVERY SINGLE DAY to meet with small groups or confer with my students.  I am very clear about where they are in math because I have the time to listen and understand.  For more about my small groups: Math: Guide Groups, Games and Resources.

An Inquiry into Math Instruction

Over the past several years I have had the desire to be a better teacher of mathematics.  Math was never a passion of mine but I didn't dislike it either.  I think starting off my career teaching solely reading left me a little behind. 

Today I am going to share with you my personal inquiry into math instruction.

Last year, I posted about Number Talks. I am still using number talks in my classroom everyday and feel that it has really helped my students with mental math.

This year in my hunt for more literature on math I came across Math Exchanges.

This very smart woman outlined how to begin small group meetings in your math workshop.  Now I've held math groups before BUT not like this.  I didn't know what to talk about...I mainly worked on areas that the students weren't strong in or tried to push my advanced students further. 

 

Kassia explains her easy to use method {trust me!} and how it helps students' development of mathematics.  In these math exchanges with students she describes her process that really works around different kinds of word problems.  My interpretation is below:

 

Math Exchanges

            *Without the numbers in the problem, read the problem to the students several times, ask,

               “What is going on with _____?”,

*Let students think, retell the problem and talk about what they are thinking with the group.

*Write the numbers in the problem, have the students retell the story again in own   

  words, and have a conversation

*Use retelling language

*Give students time to work and think on their own

-Students may talk to someone else in the group, spend time watching another student work, use math tools (teacher does not interrupt but writes down notes on what students are doing)

             * Time for sharing and reflecting

                          -sit in a circle

                          -no hand raising, listen to the friend speaking…if there is a pause in the

 conversation you may respond, agree, disagree, add on to the ideas of other

 

Retelling Language

Who can tell us what is happening in this story?

What do we know about what is going on?  What don’t we know yet?

What are we trying to figure out?

Which number do you think will be bigger?  Why?

Language for helping a student get started on solving a problem

*So, what are you thinking about trying/doing first?

*What strategies or tools have you used before that might help you with this problem?

*Is there a friend's strategy that you have used before that you would like to try?

 

In the book she refers to the CGI Problem Types.  Her word problems stem from these problems and she selects things that are relevant in the students' lives.  Below is a link to Teacher Tipster's pdf.

 



 

 

 

Kassia's book put math into a perspective I could understand.  Throughout the book you feel like she's a friend speaking to you.  And she constantly ties it back to what she knows about reading and quotes some of the great ones (Regie Routman, Ellin Keane, etc.).  It's an easy and quick read with a lot of bang.

 

 

So after reading that I started my math exchanges and noticed that my students had no fact fluency.  I started reading up and found some really interesting and helpful articles.  (The two in reds are my favorites!)

  

* A chapter from Mastering the Basic Facts in Addition and Subtraction:

http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/e02963/oconelladd.pdf

 

*Promoting Meaningful Mastery of Addition and Subtraction: http://elem-math.wiki.educ.msu.edu/file/view/MeaningfulMasteryAddSubt.pdf

 

*  Fluency with Basic Addition: http://www.gcamath.com/uploads/9/1/4/0/9140392/fluency_article_tcm_sept.pdf

 

* The Road to Fluency and a License to Think: http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/curriculum/math%20curriculum/elem%20files/first/CCSS/2013_14/Unit%202%20Documents/fact%20fluency.pdf

 

*Why Children Have Difficulties Mastering Basic Number Combinations and How to Help Them: http://www.math.ccsu.edu/mitchell/math409tcmwhychildrendifficultnumbecomb.pdf

 

*Teaching without Telling: Computational Fluency and Understanding Through Invention: http://www.sbusd.org/cms/lib/CA01000811/Centricity/ModuleInstance/1753/tching_wtht_tllng.pdf

 

 

 

The article above helped me see that guiding my math instruction wasn't as nearly as difficult as I thought.  The article refers to Kathy Richardson's idea of The Hiding Assessment.  Click on the pictures to download the information on the Hiding Assessment.

 

 

 

 

 

I assessed the students in my classroom for their fluency and based off the number that they show fluency I can find their instructional level.  The instructional level is the number at which they showed fluency, the number lower and the number above.  If a child scored a three they would be working with the facts within 2, 3, and 4.  The goal by first grade is to have fluency with facts within 10.  As you can see there is a definite range in my class.  The students scoring like scores will be grouped into partnerships.  (*During Math Exchanges forming groups (produce change and growth in students’ thinking) should be flexible, responsive to specific needs, and students interact with all kinds of mathematicians.*)

 

 

 

Tonight I will leave you with some anchor charts that we have used in math lately.  Later this week I plan to post about my Guided Math Group Binder and Resources that have helped me in my math instruction.

 

 

Sleep well my friends,

 

 

 

 

Lovin' this life

As my class and I become more of a community I find myself smiling through the day and I'm thankful that I am lovin' this life I lead. 

This year I've changed things up a bit...

-I no longer rely on a behavior management chart.  I feel like I am more patient and understanding this year above all others.  A smart woman explained to me that she relies on natural consequences and empowers the students through positivity.  It's working and I'm happier :)

-There is more music in my classroom.  For years I have felt pressure to GO, GO, GO.  I'm relaxing a bit and letting my little firsties enjoy music.

-I am purely using Lucy Calkins Units of Writing.  In the past I thought they were to basic...but I'm trying it out and pushing the depth through writing conferences.  It is a peaceful time in our class.

-I am no longer depending on reading centers to keep my students active so I can meet with guided reading groups.  A friend, Angela, was sharing with me that she uses independent reading time for the first half of time and partner reading the second.  I wasn't sure I could make that work but we worked on building our stamina from the first day.  We sure have grown a lot...we went from 2 minutes to 27 minutes in two weeks in just independent reading alone!  The kids like the time and are really impressing me!  I feel like getting kids in books that they can read is my most important job in first grade.  When you really reflect...do you feel that centers are more beneficial?  It took me a few years to get there but I know time in books is what kids need.

-We got a class pet.  I applied for a grant and was able to purchase a Chinese Water Dragon.  We won't know if it is a boy or girl for a while so the name game was a hard one.  It's name is Coo Coo Ca Choo August Jones.  The first part is from The Beatles song, the middle name August is for the month and Jones refers to Junie B. Jones (who we adore).  I love the experience it is bringing into our lives.

-With common core we are more integrated so inquiry has been playing a big role in our classroom.  We have been wondering and researching to find out.  Some questions the students have researched so far are: Why do cicadas buzz?  What does a moose eat? What's the difference between a gate and a fence?  What do we need to do to care for a water dragon?  Curiousity is catching!

-My math time looks different this year because it is reactive. My needs are different this year so my setup is too.  We activate, then work through gradual release with an area of math.  We go to centers that relate to the area of math and I pull small groups.  Last year I had only two groups but this year I have 4.  This years centers are Movement, Activity, Teacher, Hands on.  Do you see the MATH acronym??  Here is a freebie for you to get organized with math groups:  MATH center rotation



So far I'm enjoying this year and feel that the changes made have impacted my teaching for the better.  What are you doing different this year that you are just lovin??  I would love to hear...you can never get enough good ideas.


Here are anchor charts from the last 2 weeks:

I hope you have a relaxing weekend!

Change is in the air

Over the past month, my class has had some changes.  First, being our new intern and having to be responsible to two people rather than one {they can't get away with anything :)}.  Second, my principal came back from a workshop that took her into the classroom of the author of The Literate Kindergarten, Susan Kempton. Susan's class has no chairs which made a lot of sense to me.  The students can get comfortable in various seated positions, their legs won't just hang, it helps my students with weak cores and it helps with the wiggles.  So I took the plung and got rid of my chairs at the student tables!  It has been so great for our class....AND they are so much calmer!! {Don't worry between teacher work tables and computers there are enough chairs if everyone wants one.} Plus I'm not having to do the endless reminding of, "Push in your chair please!  Oops who forgot?"

The third change comes from my intern.  She wanted to try out Beth Newingham's Math Workshop in which the students are grouped by ability and rotate from teacher {small group}, to math pages and to an acitivity based off the unit of learning.  Today was our first time testing it out (unfortunately our intern is ill...all those germs) and it went really well.  If it can fit into your schedule I reccommend it.  Beth also suggests changing the group names to fit the unit, so since we are in geometry our names are reflective.

 Here is the whole set up.  The math board with group names (the kids signed their names), their rotation schedule, their assignments and over to the right is unit vocabulary.

I got this idea from the daily 5.  Students jobs while working and the teacher's job.  The bins above our storage for each center and match the color table.

Math Workshop Geometry

 And here are a couple other things that have changed in the room!

Theses spelling chunk cards are from Mrs. Jump's Class.  The students are using the back of two filing cabinets to do their word work.  They either spell or sort words under the spelling chunks.{Looks better than the actual backs to the filing cabinets!}

After I made new math word wall cards I got started on my math word wall. 

Get your cards here: Math Vocabulary   Math Vocabulary Cards 2

I'm off to dinner...yay!