SPRING SALE IS HERE!!! Alright spring is right around the corner so let’s start it off right with a little spring cleaning. Time to clean out your carts and make room for all the new and wonderful products I have seen on TpT lately. I am going to be doing some spring cleaning myself. I have had some awesome products on my wishlist for a while now! But, anywhooo, my store entire store is 10% off for 2 days only (March 18th & 19th)! That brings some of my items to under $2! Click HERE to see my products! Also, I wanted to give you a little sneak peek into this coming week. I will be having a giveaway later this week. I won’t tell you what product is in the giveaway just yet, but I am really excited about it! Check back later this week for more details. Ok, and as I continue to ramble on, I would like to show you a few pics from math today. 3-D SHAPES! So, I have been subbing for this one teacher frequently so she lets me do a lesson of my own here and there. It is great! For today, we learned about 3-D shapes in a whole new way! They LOVED it!!! (Thankfully, this lesson was allowed because none of the students had allergies! Yay! ) Check out the pictures of our lesson today! Here are two of the students working hard on using the food to count the faces, edges and vertices! They did so well! I mean, maybe the fact that they knew they could eat the food after was a huge incentive! ;-) We used cheese balls to represent spheres, Hershey’s chocolate for rectangular prisms, Starburst for cubes, marshmallows for cylinders, and Bugles for cones. We also used this cute poem that I found on Pinterest. The students were a little curious why the soda was called “soda pop”. Being in RI, we don’t refer to soda as pop, but oh well! Overall, a great subbing day! Ok, well dinner time for me! Thanks for stopping by everyone!!! Hopefully, see you back here later this week for the giveaway! ;-)

If you know me, you know I am in loooove with Daily 5! Ever since incorporating it into my classroom last year, I have loved seeing the variety of skills and strategies my students are working on each and every day. I also love that the segments are short, so we all stay motivated and the energy for learning stays high. I have been wanting to redo how I teach math for a while. As a student, I truly adore mathematics, but as a teacher, I was getting bored. Our district was looking into several programs to adopt and I was piloting Everyday Mathematics. It was definitely a change from our old textbook, but I liked how it mixed things up and spiraled around to keep kids fresh on many math concepts. The district ended up choosing Math Expressions (Please share your experience if you use this!) and this decision allowed me to stop teaching Everyday Mathematics "with fidelity" and monkey around with starting Guided Math/Math Rotations/Small Group Math/Math Centers/etc. for the remainder of this year. I.am.in.love! I know there are many ways of doing this, so I am just sharing what I have been trying and what works so far with my schedule. Some of my greatest inspirations are Elizabeth from Fun in 4B and Dana from 3rd Grade Gridiron. I also have TONS of wonderful links with pictures on my Math Pinterest board-- there are so many inspirational teachers out there :) :) First up, the 3-4 rotations that I use: Teacher Time- spent with me on the rug in a small group, ability-based for the unit, learning a new concept. Lesson Work- practicing the new skill from Teacher Time (usually book work or a worksheet) independently at their table spot. Math Centers- this has been using some of my Word Work Centers as well as my Winter Math Centers. Fact Practice- this is the "I'm Done" center for those students who finish Lesson Work early. I also have Fact Practice as a choice for Math Centers. Some days students don't get to this at all, but I'm ok with that since Xtra Math is a part of our Star Homework each night. Because of time constraints, I could only divide up my class into three groups, so that really limited my use of the cute M-A-T-H or B-U-I-L-D centers that are out there. I just couldn't imagine trying to have super-short Teacher Times or trying to spread one lesson across two days :( With three groups, I am able to meet with kids for 15-20ish minutes and that seems to be just right :) I also tried to keep things aligned with how I do Daily 5 in my class. Because that is so successful, I knew it would be easy for my kids (and, to be honest, on me!) if we started it off the same and ran our math time the same, using some of the same activities as well as the same lingo (like Teacher Time). I began by making an anchor chart of the four rotations as a class: To make the smaller signs, I adjusted my print settings to print 2 signs on one sheet. We then practiced the bottom two rotations over the course of a few days. Because I started this mid-year, it was very easy to build stamina. I started by dividing the kids into two groups and they practiced either Fact Practice or Math Centers. We then reflected on what worked/what needed improving and tried again. I slowly added Teacher Time and then Lesson Work, so that by the end of the second week, we were in full swing. To help things along, since the content does change much more often than in D5, I made small signs to hang on my side white board that listed either the learning target or question as well as the assignments and center choices for kids' reference: This has been a lifesaver because now students have a quick reference point to not only know what we'll be studying in Teacher Time, but they can manage their own Center and Fact Practice time, therefore not interrupting me during Teacher Time (win!). You KNOW I have bookmarks with these rotations, right?! :) I need to go to Bookmarks Anonymous ;) Each student has one and it makes it easy for me to say "Picture 2" and they all know where to go. To learn how to make your own bookmarks from PDF pages, click HERE. To be honest, now that we have been doing this for a while, we don't need these anymore, but I love them just the same and, when our geometry unit is over soon I am going to me remixing the groups, so these will come in handy again soon :) As with everything, the devil is in the details, so prepping is the key. I spent a looooooong time making sure the kids had activities and trying to account for "dead time"-- thus, the Fact Practice option. I also wanted to make materials accessible and easy to get to, so there wouldn't be any excuse for not getting started right away. I am currently storing all of the centers and flash cards in my lovely, colorful cart I purchased from Joann's (50% off and free shipping coupon-- woo hoo!) I will be back soon for more details on how I have been doing Math Centers-- we are using a Bingo Board similar to Word Work and it has worked out well so far. Do you use Math Rotations or something like it? How's it going? PS- I don't have these chevron signs on TpT yet, but is it something you all would be interested in? Let me know and I can get all of the colors together for use in your own classroom-- it's the same chevron as all of my other products HERE. *UPDATE 2/18/13: These are now available for purchase in my TpT Store HERE. All 7 chevron colors are included for every slide as well as a plain background option. Be sure to download the Preview to see an example :) Thanks for such great feedback- I hope you enjoy using these in your class :) :)

When my math coach and I sat down to plan my algebra unit I had no idea how well my students would do and how far we would be able to go with it. There have been several teachable moments throughout this unit where we've been able to go above and beyond the ideas that I had planned to covered. This unit has been interrupted by so many things including Benchmark test. My mind reels with the thoughts of what we could have done had we not had all the interruptions. It has been a real confidence booster for so many of students who struggled through our last unit on fractions. My math coach gave me a huge box of materials to be used for Hands-On Equations when we started planning this unit. I have to admit that the box was so overwhelming that when she first gave it to me I wanted to ignore it. I didn't want to take the time to deal with it. I am so glad I decided to deal with that box. In a matter of thirty minutes or less my students were solving some pretty big equations yesterday. They immediately understand what a variable is and its role in equations. They understood that an equal sign doesn't mean solve this problem and find the answer. They were able to see the equal sign as the middle point on a scale where each side of it had to be balanced or equal. I was so incredibly proud of them, but even more important they were proud of themselves. They had been so scared of this unit just because it was called Algebra. But by the end of our time together yesterday they were all saying how easy algebra is. I was thrilled because algebra has always been my strong point in math, but I never really understood the why. I never saw the equal sign as the middle point of a scale. I was just able to regurgitate what my teacher was doing. Because of that teaching algebra has always been one of my low points. I didn't have the knowledge to explain it the way I need to. That changed yesterday. So what is Hands-On Math? We started class with some discussion about what an equal sign meant. I let them share their ideas and then I brought out my scale - though I use that term loosely because it is not an actually scale. It just looks like one. We started with a blue pawn representing X on one side of the scale and a cube representing 5 on the other side. Students were immediately able to see that in order for the scale to be balanced then x had to equal 5. From there I followed the book that comes with this kit. This little book made my job incredibly easy. According to this book, you can use this kit to teach students as low as 3rd grade how to solve algebraic equation. I might have rolled my eyes when I first read that, but after just one day I totally believe it. You can see from the picture above how we slowly stepped it up. Students were given their own scale and pieces so that they could manipulate the equations. Students were writing the equation and solving for X with ease. They were primarily using guess and check yesterday. I did show them how to solve without the scale or using guess and check at the end of class. Again they were scared when I told them what I wanted to show them, but as soon as I did it I heard lots of "Oh! That's easy!" They will begin practicing it on their own soon. I can't wait.

Geometry Bingo is a great tool for discussing and reinforcing geometric concepts in a fun and engaging way. The file comes with 6 card templates, 32 caller cards and a card backing design. Geometry Bingo comes in pdf format. In my store, you will see other bingo games, with interactive bingo callers. You may try out the interactive bingo callers at Teachersclassmate.com NOTE: The bingo callers are in a flash file which is not supported by your iphone or ipad.

This doctor classroom transformation is perfect for elementary students to practice math skills while having fun.

These FREE gorgeous Positional Language Word Wall Cards are designed to match the Rosie's Walk Ready Made Story Stones.

A while back, I posted a free Number of the Day on Google Docs. I was then notified by a seller on TpT that mine was similar to hers and th...

Here's an easy idea for teaching area and perimeter that your students will love! Take them outside (but first, make it clear that it's not recess time!). Have them follow behind you in a line

Worksheets are a snoozefest...try this Super Fun Engaging Activity for ANY SUBJECT + a freebie!

I created my own version of math Rotations a few years ago when I just couldn’t meet the needs of all of my students doing whole group instruction. I found that my high kids were bored and not listening, my middle of the road kids were mostly listening (I mean, I was teaching to them!!), and my low kids were staring off in space. Not good. That’s when I did some research and decided to do Differentiated Math Rotations. Here is a quick overview of what I do. I am NOT claiming to be an expert at all!! This is just works for me (and my kiddos’ state test scores) I will also add that I DO NOT do rotations EVERY SINGLE DAY! I still find it incredibly valuable to have students participating in Math Talks, completing Performance Events, playing Games, and figuring out difficult problems with students who are not on their level. Their conversations are so important This blog post describes the majority of my time. So.. how does it work you ask? I pre-assess my students at the beginning of each unit. Make it easy on yourself and just give them a five question multiple choice sheet that covers the topics of the unit. That way you can QUICKLY assess their strengths and weaknesses. I have to use our district Common Assessments, but it accomplishes the same thing. Next, I group them according to the results. I use the Cardinal Directions as groups because it is a Compass Rose, shaped like a cross. There is not really a top or bottom because all four sides are important to find your way. All 5 correct: West (advanced) 3-4 correct: East 2 correct: South 0-1 correct: North (low) I usually play around a little bit with the East and South groups to even out the number of kiddos. I also assign each student a partner who is in their group to play at the game station. Now remember, these groups are flexible. I am constantly monitoring my students to see if they need to change groups. I will usually get a few kids who can move up to West (advanced) and some kiddos who move up from North. I have had a student or two who has moved down to North for a few lessons. You are meeting your kids where they are. I also DON’T do stations EVERY Day. I do it MOST days!! Notice that North group begins with the Teacher. This is so your low group is the first group of the day and they go directly to their desk to practice after meeting with you. West group on the other hand, meets with you last. The first thing that they do is practice. These kiddos can usually start an inquiry based activity alone and then meet with you later to discuss it. Or you can have them practice something from yesterday’s lesson. Since the groups are flexible, I use a sticky note to record the group members’ names. I also use pencil so that I can erase. Your groups will not always be even. You may have to have two low groups for example. I hot glue the other labels to a white board. I write the materials needed and assignments students will complete at each station. Once I have all my little honey buns in groups, I teach them about the rotations they will be making each day. Each rotation is "supposed" to last for 10 mins. I have been "flexible" with my timing for each group, depending on their understanding of the lesson. There are four rotations: Teacher, Desk, Game, Fast Facts. While I don’t do a whole group lesson at the beginning, we do come back for share time to talk about our new learning. This is when the kiddos come to me at the carpet or small group table for the actual lesson that is presented on their level. Your middle groups are easy to plan. You just use your Math Program. North and West are more tricky. You have to plan specifically for them. I do A LOT of hands-on activities with my North group. While I am teaching a modified version of the curriculum, I am still expecting to get them to be successful on the grade level assessment. This takes flexible planning on your part. I KNOW my end goal and how I need to get them there, but I have no idea if this group will “get” the lesson or if I will need to reteach in a different way. I am prepared either way. West group needs a challenge. These are most likely your gifted learners. They do NOT need MORE work. They have already proven to you that they have met the grade level expectation. These kiddos can work on performance events and projects. You will still be teaching them, but something more advanced. Where do I get my resources? My TPT Store www.commoncoresheets.com www.superteacherworksheets.com http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me5l/html/math5.html www.frontrowed.com At practice kiddos work on the practice assignment at their desks after the lesson. This is usually a worksheet that students work on to continue the learning they just had. (West group starts here first since they are the advanced group. They get an assignment before the lesson.) I have a game for each skill. I usually keep the same game for one week so that I only have to explain it once. Some games are differentiated and some games are not. We may play a game from the current unit or we may play a game from a previous unit to review skills. I play around with a couple of different activities for Fast Facts and what you do will depend on the availability of technology in your building. If you have tech, keep reading, if not, scroll down. For those with tech I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend Prodigy! It is AMAZING! My kids beg me to play it and they even go home, call each other, and play online! This is a computer program that allows you to choose the standards, assign quizzes, and it grades it for you. The kids love it because it lets them create a wizard avatar and they go around a magical world battling and earning coins and pets! It’s free unless parents want to pay for their kiddos to be able to “win” more things. Some have purchased it but most have not. I have also had students use www.xtramath.org for math facts. I highly recommend this site. We use it for homework now instead. Before Prodigy I would have recommended www.frontrowed.com This site is AMAZING! It gives pretests for all CCSS standards and builds a program for each student! If you do not have technology, We create these Fact Folders. We create them at the beginning of the year and use them for Fast Finishers. Watch this ten second video. You can pause if you need to! I really hope this helps give you some ideas for Math Rotations! If you want the already created board, check it out by clicking the pic below! Have a great year!

Wow!!! Third, Fourth and Fifth graders have been working very hard on this Fraction Art lesson which combines math and art. They started w...

Group Fruit and Veggie Partner Pairing Cards are the perfect solution for teachers looking for an easy way to organize their guided reading or math groups! There are enough cards for 5 groups of 6, but each group does not have to be filled with 6 people. The cards are simple to cut, assign, and laminate for durability. They are also differentiated, so the teacher can assign group names or create their own. Even more, the set includes an editable tracking sheet to monitor group dynamics and optimize learning. Group Cards make Classroom Management breeze—no more wasted time worrying over group assignments and making sure everyone is included. With these cards, you can quickly assign groups while making sure every student feels a part of the collective. Plus, tracking sheets make monitoring groups easy so you can optimize learning. Best of all, Group Cards make teaching fun for the students, too. With creative names, fun visuals, and engaging activities, your students will love coming to class and learning in groups. So don't let group activities become chaotic and unorganized. Need Partner Pairing Cards for small student groups of different sizes? Grab my Small Group Partner Cards BUNDLE that has the resources you need to create groups of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6!   GROUPS INCLUDE: The Sweeties Brownie, Sugar Cookie, Milkshake, Cotton Candy, Ice Cream, and Cake The Fruities Apple, Banana, Cherry, Pineapple, Coconut, and Watermelon The Veggies Broccoli, Tomato, Corn, Turnip, Carrot, and Potato The Fast Foodies Hamburger, French Fries, Burrito, Chicken Nuggets, Pizza, and Frozen Yogurt The Breakfast Club Syrup, Bacon, Pancakes, Waffle, Cereal, and Egg You can use these cards for guided reading, math groups, or class games that require "teams!"

Please note, this popular style available now for PREORDER, to be shipped by 6/12/24. This restock will go FAST, so you CAN order now. Turn heads in these blinged out, medium wash motorcycle pocket shorts. These shorts have a comfy, stretchy fit, please see size chart below:

Do your students struggle with math? Check out these FREE spiral review math worksheets for 2nd grade to help your students with math.

Students look for geometry in their name! Click here for a free printable where kids hunt for angles in the entire alphabet to go alo...

Build fraction knowledge with your students or children by using Fraction of the Day. I have provided free Google slides to use to practice fraction of the day exercises and also a free blank printable. I walk you step-by-step through different fraction exercises you can have them do.

Number lines go wrong in SO many ways. Let us count the ways: Students struggle to read number lines when labels are missing on the tick marks. When drawing number lines students do not evenly spac…

Teaching is hard. Find a little help from your teacher friend with ideas, resources, and content for the modern teacher.

This Scientist Classroom Transformation is perfect for elementary students. They get to practice math problems in a scientist-themed classroom.

This awesome brain game, Which One Doesn't Belong? focuses on countless math skills including place value, shape recognition and comparison.

Have you ever downloaded a PDF and wanted to send it to a student but couldn’t because of the answer key and other erroneous pages were attached to it? Did you know that there is an easy way to pull or extract pages you want from a PDF to send to your students? Watch this ... Read more

Are you looking for a way to scaffold math vocabulary and concepts and make math more visual? In this post are photos of math word walls for elementary, middle and high school math along with photos of math classroom word walls that teachers have sent to me of their math classroom set up. Included in this post are links to free math word wall cards and discounted printable math word wall bundles for a variety of math topics. I am updating each math word wall to include a virtual option. Now in the files will be color, black and white and interactive digital math word wall options.

When I first started teaching there was only one word to describe the start of class – chaos.I remember standing in front of my class as the bell rang wondering how on earth I was going to get their attention.With half the class talking, 5 kids walking around the room, and 2 more coming in late, it

Math art projects will get kids creative while also teaching them mathematical concepts. Fun ideas for children of all ages and skill levels.

I find Math to be an absolute headache in terms of resource management. There is never enough resources, occasionally too many, and they are often in bad repair. This is why my next few posts are about Math resources. Enjoy! As I teach in NZ and follow the Numeracy Projects, place value houses are a common material to work with. I printed mine off A4 size from http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/sites/default/files/Numeracy/2007matmas/Bk4/MM%204_11.pdf. Each 'house' was copied onto a different coloured paper, and then cut out and laminated. I didn't cut them out again after laminating, as it made it easier to punch a hole in the corner and thread a ring through (are they 'magazine' rings?). My awesome set can now hang from the wall if there is space. No more scrunching up in the bottom of a drawer! They are also really quick and easy to unclip and use, then pack up again. I started off using a whiteboard pen to write the digits directly onto the laminated charts. However these digits are often hard to rub off, especially if you wait too long and it has the chance to dry. So now I use a packet of playing cards (50cents from the local emporium) with the picture + '10' cards removed. Affordable, and much quicker than making digit cards myself. There is a previous post on here with a similar idea. I am planning on making a second, A3 set of place value charts with magnetic strips on the back for whole class lessons. I might even pop a little magnetic strip on the back of some oversized playing cards to use with the demo set. Happy laminating!

Part of our jobs as teacher is to sit down with parents once or twice a year to discuss their children's progress and to set goals for future success. I always thought it was funny how parents and teachers get together to have these conversations, and to make decisions about a student's learning. For me, the missing link was always the student. As a teacher who has spent (almost) her entire career working with upper grade students, I started to realize that these students really needed to be involved in their own conferences. Why not let students lead the conversation about their progress and goals?? The Benefits of Student-Led Conferences The first year after implementing student-led conferences with my class, the benefits were immediately obvious to me, my students, and their parents.... First, students take ownership and responsibility for their behavior, work habits, and grades. Instead of the teacher "defending" grades or marks for behavior, students must explain to their parents (and teacher) why they earned those marks. Another benefit is that everyone is on the same page!! So much is lost in translation from school to home and home to school. With all parties involved, students, teachers, and parents can come together to discuss a student's needs without blame or excuses. Also, students have more buy-in when setting and working toward goals. When students are able to identify and discuss their own strengths and weaknesses, they have a much easier time setting goals, and doing the work to meet those goals. Most importantly, students feel a sense of pride and maturity when taking part in making decisions about their own education. Conference Checklist I always give my students a checklist to work through when they are leading their conferences. It starts with them welcoming their parents, showing them where to sit, and introducing them to me. Then they continue through the checklist, sharing about what they have learned, how they are doing in class, and eventually their goals. It ends with them thanking their parents for coming, and prompting them to ask any questions. Here is a sample of the checklist that I use: What We're Learning This Year I like for students to start their conferences by sharing what they are learning in class. Often times, this is the first chance that parents get to learn about what goes on in our classroom each day. It also gives students a chance to highlight some of their favorite activities that happen at school. Students usually spend about a minute or two sharing what they are learning. Student Evaluation In the weeks leading up to their conferences, students complete a couple self evaluations. The first asks them to evaluate their behavior and work habits. Then they complete a page about their strengths and weaknesses. This is good jumping off point for setting goals. During the conference, students will briefly share these evaluations. Goal Setting This is the final stage of our student-led conferences. You could have students write goals prior to their conference, or have them write them with their parents present. For the sake of time, I usually have students write their goals before their conference, and then modify them as needed during the conference. I also ask students to share with me and their parents what we can do to help them reach their goals. After all, we're a team and students should realize that they are not alone in achieving their goals! After students have shared their evaluations and goals, and after parents have asked their questions, that is usually when I will step in to share the student's grades and any final thoughts. By the time we reach this point, so many great conversations have already taken place and students are able move forward toward achieving their goals. The conference forms shared in this post are available as a FREE download in my Teacher Shop!! Click on the pic below to access this resource.

Do you need math classroom decor ideas? These printable posters are an easy and affordable way to do just that! In this download, you will receive a zip file containing each poster in the following sizes: * 2 by 3 (for 12x18, 16x24 and 20x30 posters) * 3 by 4 (for 12x16, 18x24, and 36x48 posters) * 8.5 by 11 (for standard printer paper) --WHERE CAN YOU PRINT POSTERS?-- * Some local schools will print posters for you for FREE! * Order online through the photo department at the following stores: Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Staples, Office Depot, and more!

Common Core Standards, Second Grade, Third Grade, fractions

Tic Tac Booyah is a fun and engaging review game!

Laura Candler's Geometry File Cabinet includes helpful freebies and teaching resources for the upper elementary grades.