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Purposeful Play

Jodie Bailey makes a case for purposeful play with her middle school students. To strengthen reading habits, we offer exposure to a wide variety of books, time to read, and opportunities to discuss ideas. In math classrooms students need similar opportunities to explore and play.

Your Voice Matters

Jodie Bailey shares a picture-book version of Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech and then gives students time to reflect on the message. While math class might seem like an unusual place to help students consider their identity and place in the world, Jodie inspires teachers to offer space and time for students to find their voice…while making direct connections to math standards.

Empowering Students Through Thinking Routines

Jodie Bailey shares practical ways to nourish students’ thinking routines in her math classroom. She is inspired by Peter Liljedahl’s book Building Thinking Classrooms.

Increasing Engagement During Online Practice Opportunities

Mallory Messenger is intentional about monitoring and supporting cognitive engagement while students use online practice tools. Use her tips so your students are engaged too!

Sparking Curiosity: Developing Ownership of Learning Through “What If” Questions

Jodie Bailey encourages us to use “What if” questions in all content areas to give students the space to use their innate curiosity to engage in meaningful learning.

Fostering Math Identities with Picture Books

Mandy Robek uses picture books to help her students build their identities as mathematicians. Mandy shares the process and a booklist.

From a Blank Canvas to a Community Space

Jodie Bailey approaches setting up her math classroom as a blank space with an invitation for students to engage in establishing identity, creativity, and collaboration.

Student-Generated Questions to Promote Problem Solving and Modeling with Mathematics

Mallory Messenger shares a process for students to engage and solve a type of intriguing question called Fermi Questions.

Choral Counting Routine

Mallory Messenger shares ways Choral Counting provides an opportunity for students to share ideas orally, process language and numbers, and bring out vocabulary within the context of looking for patterns.

Building Independence in Problem Solving

Mallory Messenger shares the intentional moves needed to help students build independence in problem solving.

Using Mathematics to Connect Home and School

Mandy Robek shares procedures for participation in Family Math. Family Math is a lens into the learning during the week and promotes math literacy at home.

Listening and Learning: Using Conferring to Better Understand What Students Are Thinking

Jodie Bailey shares the importance of conferring with students during math to reinforce what students are doing well and differentiate instruction.

Still Thinking: An Opportunity to Pause and Think Deeply

Jodie Bailey provides a structure to give students more time to think through ideas and problems. By using this practice, students gain ownership for their learning.

How Many? Counting Opportunities in Picture Books

Bitsy Parks shares the importance of counting and a booklist of picture books that lend themselves to counting opportunities.

Listening for Conjectures

Mallory Messenger shares a routine for hearing student conjectures (in math and other subjects) and a process for giving time for the class to prove or disprove the claims. Download a Conjecture—Prove or Disprove Recording Sheet to collect student conjectures in your classroom.

Feedback Through Conversations: An Asset-Based Approach

Jodie Bailey focuses on the importance of an asset-based lens when conferring with her students in math—and all content areas.

Routines That Normalize Mistakes

We all know that mistakes are part of learning and that safe environments for risk-taking allow students to grow, but how do you take the sting out of making mistakes? David Pittman offers advice on ways to normalize mistakes in math.

Math Debates: A Powerful Sense-Making Routine

Jodie Bailey shares a powerful practice of math debates for students to explore a problem with discussion and evidence to discover the correct solution.

Best Wrong Answer

Mallory Messenger shares a “best wrong answer” routine to help normalize mistakes while students think deeply about the math involved and help themselves look out for common mistakes to avoid.

Picture Books with Recipes to Foster Math Engagement

Mandy Robek shares a delicious list of picture books with recipes to connect reading and math engagement.

Math Is Everywhere

Bitsy Parks shares an initial read aloud to encourage primary students to develop the ability to see math everywhere.

First-Grade Math Lesson: Introduction and Partner Work

Danielle French’s first-grade students are practicing new math vocabulary during a lesson. This is the first video in a series.

First-Grade Math Lesson: Practice and Discussion

Students practice creating equations and using new vocabulary in the second installment of a math lesson from Danielle French’s first-grade classroom.

Use Math Practices to Deepen Friendships

Molly James is inspired by the book Friends Beyond Measure to use math practices to strengthen the bonds of friendship in her kindergarten classroom.

Going Deeper with Math Curricular Materials

Mallory Messenger guides us in taking what our district-adopted math curriculum resources provide and planning small changes by using problem stems and student problem posing to increase the rigor and make mathematical experiences accessible for all students. 

Searching for Patterns with First Graders

Mallory Messenger leads us through a process to help first-grade students discover patterns by leaving the middle of an equation open. Mallory offers resources and student work to help every teacher see the possibility of giving students opportunities to make sense of math.

Intentional Consolidation and Closure

Mallory Messenger emphasizes the importance of providing time for students to share their learning and offers different formats for a share session. Mallory guides us in making decisions so that share time consolidates and uplifts the learning.

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