Resources for Teaching Math

Here is a snapshot of some math resources you should know about. What I really like about these resources is that they have resources for many grade levels. So please check them out. You may find something you can use in your classroom next week.

The first resource I share with you is Illuminations by NCTM ~ Resources for Teaching Math (K-HS).

If you visit this site you can search for activities based on a grade range of activities or the following math strands: numbers & operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis & probability.

Once you sort by grade band, you can skim and scan the activities to find an activity that fits your goals and objectives.

Might you find an Illumination's activity that might work with your students?

Another resource I wanted to share is Inside Mathematics (K-HS). If you click in the box in the upper right hand corner, shortcuts by grade or strand, you could narrow your search to what would be most beneficial to you and your students.

Here you can see I searched for numbers and operations in base ten. Then I clicked on second and third grade. Here you can find different problems of the month and performance assessment tasks. Use these activities to encourage math talk in your classroom. Adapt the activities to fit the needs of your students.

There are video resources available at Inside Math that can be helpful as well to the teaching of mathematics.

The final resource I am going to share is K-5 Math Resources. You can search for activities by grade level band and strand: number, geometry, and measurement/data. You may some free resources here.

As you can see, I searched third grade activities in the number strand. The standard comes up along with possible activities. If you click the link, you can print off a PDF to use with your students.

Here is another example if I searched second grade activities in the measurement and data activities.

As with any resource, you have to evaluate the activities based on the needs of your students and the goals you hope to accomplish.

I would love to hear what math resources you use for your students. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you can add some ideas you found on these sites to your math toolbox.

Spooktacular Halloween Activities

So glad you stopped by for a spell to join in on the fun! To begin with...check out this spooktacular fraction FREEBIE. Have students design ghosts with certain features while practicing multiplying a whole number by a fraction (4.NF.4). Click on the image to download your FREEBIE!

Looking for some monsterific activities?

 

Monster Mania can be used as part of a center, anchor activity, or whole group activity. Students do not have to complete all the activities. Teachers can differentiate according to students’ readiness levels and interests. Monster Mania is a perfect complement for October fun, but it can also be used whenever your students need monsterific activities.

Writing Task Cards: There are 6 writing task cards with a monster theme. The writing tasks are short writing pieces that can be further developed by students if time permits. Students can work independently or with a co-writer. The following types of writing are included: friendly letter poetry, quatrain, jingle, summary template, movie review, and recipe.

Roll-a-Cube and Booklet Roll-a-Cube is a way to engage students in reviewing 6 literacy/language skills and applying these skills to short tasks with a monster theme. Review target words found on the Roll-a-Cube using the Monster Anchor Mat included in this download. Copy and assemble the Roll-a-Cube and have an activity you can use in a writing center, during group work, or as a quick review during transitions. Have 5 minutes during the day to use Roll-a-Cube and have students generate ideas orally to review key skills!

Check out this product, MONSTER MANIA, for writing center activities and tasks.

Trick or Treat! Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat! Whooo doesn't like a tasty treat? What is your favorite candy? Does it make the list of Top 10 Halloween Candy  (Kidzworld 2022)?

1.   Kit Kat
2.   Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
3.   Smarties
4.   Starburst
5.   Nerds
6.   Twix
7.   Sour Patch Kids
8.   Whoppers
9.   Skittles
10. Tootsie Rolls

Bats all folks! 

You Oughta Know About: A Blog Hop ~ Webcams

Have you used webcams in your classroom? Webcams are a way to bring the world into your classroom virtually.

Doing an animal study? How about bringing the animals into the classroom? Well, not literally. Students can take a trip to the zoo via computers. Some zoos have live cameras set up that allow students to view the animals. Check out some of these webcams. Note: Sometimes animals may be inactive.

Check out the Animal Cams at the San Diego Zoo. Click on the image below and pick your animal cam of choice: tiger, panda, koala, polar, ape, condor, and elephant.

Students can make observations and record their findings over several days. Varying the time of day when students observe the animals, they can draw conclusions and make generalizations about animal behaviors. Students can compare the type of habitats the animals live in. If students have access to the computers at home, they can observe the animals at home! Great school-home connection.

Here's an Observation Log Sheet you can use to get your students started. Click on the image to grab your copy. To begin, we would observe the animal as a class. Then I would model how to complete an observation entry with specific details.

 
This observation sheet comes from my Animal Research: Observation and Research Journal product.


Webcams can be used for other units of study as well. Learning about famous United States landmarks? Check out Earth Cam. Visit the Statue of Liberty. Or how about Mount Rushmore in South Dakota?

Hope might you incorporate the use of a webcam into your classroom? Visit some of the other blogs below to find some other helpful ideas and tips.

An InLinkz Link-up

Back to School Time

How can students get to know you, their teacher, while giving them a task to keep them engaged when they arrive? Try this activity at the beginning of the year. Welcome students to your classroom by having a word search about their teacher on their desks! Immediately a connection is made and students can settle into the classroom with a familiar activity.

Simply write a short paragraph about yourself and/or about the coming year, type it up, underline some keywords, and then create a word search using Discovery Education's free Puzzlemaker. Have you used this website? 

Once the word search is created, copy and paste it into a document and type the paragraph underneath. Or print it off and attach it to the paragraph.

This activity can easily be adapted for younger students by varying the length of the paragraph, the complexity of the words used, and the number of words used in the word search. When making the word search, you can set the size of the of word search to have fewer letters overall. You also can choose whether or not the words will share letters.

One activity to consider is to have students create their own paragraphs about themselves or their summer and have them create their own word search. The completed word searches make a great classroom display for the beginning of the year! Another idea is to have students place their word searches into plastic sleeves and switch with a partner. Using a dry erase marker, students can learn about their classmates while completing a word search!

Have you ever used Two Truths and a Fib? This can be used as an icebreaker/get to know you activity for the beginning of the year. To help students get to know some things about their teacher write two statements that are true and one statement that is a fib. Picking the not so obvious truths about yourself make for an interesting introduction. Share with your students. Have students guess which is a fib.  Then have students create one about themselves to share with their classmates. This activity can be used later in the year during a novel or content area study. Click on the image below to grab the freebie.

Graphics by Creative Clips

Wishing you all a great start to the new school year. 

Guided Math ~ Chapter 9: Setting the Stage

Well, we are at the final chapter, and this book study is coming to an end. Thanks to Sarah and Courtney from Adventures in Guided Math for hosting the book study this summer!

For me, there were two key takeaways mentioned in the beginning of this chapter.

• Time. Persistence. Consistency. When getting started with math workshop it is important to keep these in mind. 
• Dr. Newton mentions, "Make it comfortable for yourself!"

To get teachers started with math workshop, Dr. Newton outlines a 20 day framework.

Getting Started ~ Week 1
It is important to set the foundation! The structure of math workshop is discussed so students can explain it in their own words. Time is spent exploring what math workshop will look like, sound like, and feel like. During this time, students explore what it means to be a good mathematician. Students will begin to understand their role as mathematicians. Students will see that they are expected to share their thinking through discussions and writing. They also will review their role as respectful listeners.

Week 2
At this time routines, procedures, and expectations are discussed. The parts of math workshop also are discussed. Students are introduced to what their role will be during routines, mini-lessons,  and math centers. Modeling is important here. If things go awry, it is important to revisit the routines, procedures, and expectations!

Week 3
During this week additional time is given to practicing procedures and understanding the structure of math workshop so students can work independently of teacher support while guided groups are pulled. Once all the components of math workshop are put together, it is important to debrief with students how everything worked and what goals need to be set to ensure a successful math workshop. Time is given for students to practice transitioning, gathering materials for center work, and working with others during center time.

Week 4
Debrief. What does this mean to students? How has math workshop been going? What improvements need to be made? What needs to be clarified? It is important for students to reflect and summarize what they have learned. It is a time for math discourse and engagement of all students. Practice runs of math workshop occur this week to iron out any kinks and redirect students when/where necessary. Consistency in maintaining the structure of math workshop is essential!

Some things to think about and do to begin the journey...

• start slow and build with consistency
• create a lesson plan structure that is informative yet manageable
• "hot topic" centers/resources to help recycle/review skills
•  continue to create preassessments that measure what students may already know to create groups of "best fit"

Things I will continue...

• meet students where they are so I can take them where they need to go (pg 9)
• make things work for my students with the time we have
• help my students view themselves as mathematicians
• foster questioning by students and have students work to discover their answers (Questioning Pencils - Click to view one of the questioning tools my students use.)

Thanks for visiting Pam's Place throughout this book study. Wishing you all good luck on your math workshop journey. Best wishes for a fantastic school year!

Guided Math ~ Chapter 8: What Are the Other Kids Doing?

"Math centers allow students to concretize their knowledge and intensively practice their math skills (pg 99)." As Dr. Newton goes on to explain, "The goal is for all students to be doing work that improves their skills and allows them to practice and self-check their work (pg 100)."

In this chapter, you will find the nuts and bolts about math centers.

Grouping:
Variety is the spice of life here! Students should have opportunities to work independently, with partners, and in groups. Depending on the target, students can be heterogeneously or homogeneously grouped.

Regardless of the type of grouping used, it is important to focus on the students' zone of proximal development. Not too easy; not too tough. It's important to target activities that are "just right" to meet students where they are so you can take them where they need to go (pg 9).

Individual Work:
During individual work, students can sit together as a group in a designated location while working independently. Dr. Newton references this as parallel work.

Partner Work or Group Work:
Games. Tasks. Problem Solving. Let the learning begin!! During partner or group work, the focus can be collaborative or competitive. For some students, they enjoy the competition; for others not so much. It is important to mix it up. I really like the suggestion to have students play games in rounds of five turns. This eliminates the focus on winning a game and refocuses the goal to the task at hand (100). Regardless of the task, the focus needs to be on gaining and reinforcing content and skill knowledge.

Math Center Logistics

Using Standards-Based Task Cards:
It is important that tasks are connected to standards. Math centers are not about "fluff and stuff."

Using Scaffolded Activity Sheets:
Scaffolded activity sheets can help students know what to do. It is important that students are able to work without teacher assistance during math center time. Spending a little extra time up front providing visual cues and scaffolding sheets to meet the needs of learners can SAVE time in the long run and MAXIMIZE learning.

Using Leveled Centers:
Dr. Newton highlighted the following as must-have centers: Basic Facts Center, Hot Topics Review Center, Geometry Center, Word Problem Center, Math Poem Center, Math Journal Center, and Math Vocabulary Center.

I really like to use poems in math. You can read the poem "Smart" by Shel Silverstein here. Great to add to a poem center during a unit on money.

It is suggested to keep centers current based on students needs. The belief is that centers are about practicing for proficiency (pg 108). It is important to differentiate the centers by student readiness levels. Think BIG IDEAS!

Student Accountability:
Feedback and reflection are important. Having conversations with students, reflecting in math journals, or using exit tickets are ways to hold students accountable and monitor student engagement and progress.

Whoa, that is a lot to think about and consider when setting up math centers. Ultimately, I have learned that I have to do what is right for my students and what I know will work with the structure of time I have.

Guided Math ~ Chapter 7: Building Mathematical Proficiency

Being mathematically proficient is more than just knowing how to do something. It is an attitude, a way of thinking (pg 86).

This chapter goes into more detail about mathematical proficiency which I briefly mentioned in my post on Chapter 5.

5 Components of Mathematical Proficiency:

Conceptual Understanding:
Students need to understand math on a conceptual level. In guided groups, students learn about the concept using manipulatives, scaffolds, and tools. It is much more than just knowing how to do something.

Procedural Fluency:
Students need to be able to "do" math and think flexibly about math using different methods: written procedures, mental math, calculator, and manipulatives. In guided math groups, math discourse ensues while students work on procedures.

Strategic Competence:
Students need to be able to solve problems and represent their thinking. There is more to math than just getting the answer. In guided math groups, the focus is on students identifying/using different "pathways" for solving problems.

Adaptive Reasoning:
Students need to be able to explain and justify their work/thinking. In guided math groups, math discussions occur where students reason, listen, interact, and make connections. Students are encouraged to use more than one way to solve a problem.

Mathematical Disposition:
Students need a disposition that will allow them to be confident in math and are willing to persevere and appreciate math while reflecting and monitoring their own learning. Mathematical disposition is about ways of thinking, doing, being, and seeing math. In guided math groups, learning can be scaffolded to foster confidence and success. Perseverance can be nurtured when students are given time in guided math groups to wrestle with problems. Small guided groups create a safe environment for students to take risks.

Sometimes my students need help seeing themselves as mathematicians. I spend a lot of time focusing on this at the start of the year, and I revisit this notion when I see their perseverance start to wane. As a visual reminder, I have posted my Mathematician Posters on a bulletin board and made a bookmark of the mini posters for students to keep in their math books/folders.

Getting students to model their thinking using different representations is not always easy. Many times my students are so proud to be the first to get the answer! This, of course, is not what I focus on. I work hard to try and change this mindset. Some students have their own way of doing/showing their math. In guided math groups, modeling different methods and having students see other students share different methods can help build stamina toward this goal. 

Conceptual understanding is the core of my instruction. Many of my students come to me with a strong foundation in math. My goal is to fill the holes with conceptual understanding. Why is that answer correct? What is that algorithm really showing you? I want my students to be able to justify and explain conceptually why something works/does not work. One time, I gave a problem to a group of students that did not have a solution. Sure, students could "do" the problem using the steps in the procedure we learned and get an answer, but the solution would not make sense. One student returned the next day and explained why the problem would not work conceptually. He was right! The rest of the group solved the problem using the steps of the procedure and got an "answer." Unfortunately, this answer did not work in the context of the problem. We had a long discussion about "doing" math and "conceptually understanding" math. It made students realize math is much more than just doing the steps to get an answer to a problem!!

When problem solving, I have found that my students lean towards showing math with numbers. That's what they feel most comfortable with! Pictures are sometimes used. When they get stuck, I often encourage them to represent the problem in pictures. But, this is not something they do naturally, yet. Words. Written words. Oh, my. If they could avoid them in math...they would! When they have to...they do it...and they do it well. But this is not a go-to-method to represent their thinking. Definitely this is a work in progress to get students to model their thinking using numbers, words, and pictures.

Guided Math in Action ~ Chapter 6: Framework for Guided Math Lessons

Planning. Planning. Planning. In order to maximize learning during guided math, it is important to constantly monitor data and performance of students.

The key takeaway for me was right on pg 69 when Dr. Nicki Newton talks about teaching at the concrete, representational, and abstract levels. I have written about the C-R-A sequence of instruction in a previous post. Click the image to read that post.

When I plan for instruction whether I am working with elementary or middle school students, C-R-A has become a habit of mind. Sometimes it is a challenge, but it is definitely exciting to see the progression of learning by students.

The chapter goes on to talk about the framework for guided math lessons. The key components include:

• mini-lesson
• student practice
• share time 

Mini-Lesson
One thing I have found is keeping mini-lessons mini. Dr. Nicki Newton outlines that in presenting a mini-lesson you should (pg 70-72):

• hook the students into the lesson
• explain the focus of the lesson
• present specific learning expectations 
• model/demonstrate 
• check for understanding.

 That is a lot . . . which goes back to the need to plan carefully and thoroughly. 

Student Practice:
This is the exciting part of the lesson for me. I get to interact and have math conversations with my students. One key component of this time is to ask effective questions that foster student thinking. It is a time to observe students in the moment and get a front-and-center perspective on how they engage with the math. It is a time to record observations that can help drive future instruction. This time never seems like it is enough time!

Share Time:
This is the time when synthesis of the lesson occurs. It also is the time that I have to consciously ensure happens before the end of math class. The debrief is so important for student learning. It brings everyone back together to restate the goal or focus.

Dr. Newton recommends having some sort of planning sheet. Honestly, I have not found a planning sheet that works for me. I have found in the past when I have used a template, my planning becomes too contrived and I feel like I am just filling in the template because I am supposed to. I do have a checklist of points to keep in mind, and I plan from there.

It is one thing to plan a great lesson, it is another to spend time reflecting on the lesson. I like the questions on pg 76 to help keep a pulse on how students are progressing.

• Are students learning and independently applying the concepts, strategies, and skills?
• Do students transfer the learning to their daily/independent work?
• Are students developing fluency and flexibility of numbers and thinking?
• Are students able to explain and model their thinking?

I think Dr. Newton sums it up best when she states, "Guided math lessons follow a particular protocol. You just don't pull some students together and work with them randomly (75)." On the teacher's part, guided math lessons take planning, forethought, and using best practices for teaching.  On the student's part, guided math lessons allow for active engagement where exploration, conversation, questions, and demonstration of understanding occur.

Guided Math in Action ~ Chapter 5: Balanced Assessment

When we hear the word "assessment," so many things pop into our heads. This statement on pg 51 was powerful: "Balanced assessment means that we continually look at the whole student in various ways." With the focus being on the whole child, it is important to have various assessment tools.

In this chapter, Dr. Nicki Newton references the five elements of mathematical proficiency: conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and mathematical disposition. (pg 52) I definitely want to work on creating a better balance of these five elements in future assessments. I picked one question as a trigger for each element using the list from pg 53.

CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING: Does the student understand this concept?

PROCEDURAL FLUENCY: Can the student do the math?

STRATEGIC COMPETENCE: Does the student use different and efficient strategies when solving problems?

ADAPTIVE REASONING: Can the student talk about the concept?

MATHEMATICAL DISPOSITION: Does the student monitor his/her own learning?

--------------------------------------

The chapter then focuses on pre-assessment, ongoing assessment, and evaluative assessment.

Pre-assessment:
I really liked how Dr. Nicki Newton flipped the way she launched the lesson on division. As a whole-group pre-assessment, Dr. Newton probed the students to get a pulse of where the students were at by asking the following questions (pg 55):

• What is division?

• Who can give me some examples of when we use it?

• What are the tricky parts? 

The whole-group discussion can activate prior learning for students. Sometimes students just need a trigger to activate and help them remember what they already know. In the past, I have allowed students to quickly preview a concept before a pre-assessment so it's not a cold topic. It has given me a more authentic read for those students who really may have some understanding of the concept, but may just need a quick review. I keep students like Miguel (pg 41) in mind. The data from the pre-assessments is then used to help group students for guided math and to help drive instruction.

Ongoing Assessment:
Ongoing assessment helps keep a pulse on where students are at so we can take them where they need to go (pg 9).

Observations, graphic organizers, and conferences are a few of Dr. Nicki Newton's suggestions for ongoing assessment. In using these, adjustments can be made to the instructional plan for students when needed. I like the idea of using a Teacher Observation Sheet when monitoring and keeping anecdotal notes from guided math sessions (pg 61). The parts that I want to add to my observations during the coming school year are:

• What does the talk sound like?

• What are keywords and phrases being used?

•  Who is not talking? (This is important to notice and track so I can help these students be more comfortable in taking an active role during guided math sessions.)

Evaluative Assessment:
This section's key takeaway is to review the results from an evaluative assessment with the class and individual students. Assessments should be more than a grade; students need to look deeper at their performance beyond the grade they received. I like how Dr. Nicki Newton talks about helping students to concretize their learning before going on to the next concept by having them express what they learned, understand, and still need clarification on (pg 64).

I would like to incorporate more performance assessments. I feel they are more comprehensive and help students see how to apply math. Due to time and finding quality performance tasks, this is not always easy. But it doesn't hurt to set a goal, right?!

Two for Tuesday at Pam's Place

That's My Rule: Candy Machines with In/Out Boxes has two activities. Each activity has 10 cards with different function machines, otherwise known as Candy Machines in these activities. The cards target addition and subtraction to 20.

Candy Machine ~ What’s My Rule? is an activity designed to have students look for patterns and then identify the rule for the In/Out Boxes. 10 cards included. Math tools might be helpful for some students.

Candy Machine ~ Working or Broken? is an activity students really enjoy, especially when a Candy Machine is broken! For this set of cards, students have to determine if the pattern or rule for the Candy Machine is followed for each set of numbers in the In/Out Boxes. More than one set of numbers might make a Candy Machine broken. 10 cards included. Math tools might be helpful for some students.

This is a DEAL. Check out these Mathematician Posters. I am participating in two online book studies this summer: Teaching Numeracy, 9 Critical Habits to Ignite Mathematical Thinking by Margie Pearse and K. M. Walton at Math Coach's Corner and Guided Math in Action by Dr. Nicki Newton at Adventures in Guided Math and have math on the mind. Don't we want all our students to see themselves as mathematicians?! These mini posters could be that visual reminder ;)!

 

Students as Mathematicians Mini Posters can be used to create a bulletin board to remind students they are mathematicians. Pass out the mini posters to students and have them role play what being a mathematician looks like and sounds like in the classroom. Keep a set of mini posters available during small group instruction to point out positive math behaviors or to support learners. Use the posters to anchor in good habits of mind when learning math. 

Guided Math in Action ~ Chapters 3 & 4: Managing the Math Workshop and Forming Guided Math Groups

Welcome back! Today I am going to discuss chapters 3 & 4 from Guided Math in Action as part of a book study hosted by Adventures in Guided Math.

Chapter 3: Managing the Math Workshop

I liked how the chapter started. Start slowly. Start calmly. Start immediately. Just start! (pg 29) The whole management piece can be daunting.  Routines. Procedures. Expectations. Setting the stage and adhering to the expectations are key. I keep thinking back to guided reading. If similar routines, procedures, and expectations can be found in both reading and math, the transition for students might be easier.

After reading the chapter, I keep thinking back to "hot topic centers." (pg 31) It's not to say I don't think about "hot topics" or the need to recycle and review "hot topics." But I want to keep monitoring and adding to it throughout the year. What "hot topics" come to mind for your students?

One key component of math workshop is having supplies and math tools readily available. In looking at the Figure on pg 36, I really like the varied representations of math tools. I feel it is so important that students have multiple ways to view math. It reminded me of a lesson where students represented decimals to the hundredths place using base-ten blocks, a centiwheel, and money.

All math tools are kept in a community location for easy student access. Organizing manipulatives in student packs makes for more efficient use. The Standard for Mathematical Practice #5 states: Use appropriate tools strategically. After instruction, I allow students to choose the tools they feel will be most useful when practicing new concepts or solving problems. One thing I am sure to do is to introduce and model the correct use and functionality of math tools for students first before they are added to the community location.

Management of guided math takes time, patience, and PLANNING.

Chapter 4: Forming Guided Math Groups

This is the best chapter so far. Small group instruction is key to helping us meet students where they are so we can take them where they need to go (pg 9). While reading the beginning of this chapter what resonated with me was the statement that it is very important for teachers to work with small guided math groups at ALL levels, not just the lowest-performing (pg 41). I know this is not always easy to do, however, if we are going to take our students where they need to go, ALL students deserve the benefits of small group instruction. Dr. Nicki's story about the first grader, Miguel, was a gentle reminder to those students who may already know the current lesson and probably need something more. Math workshop seems like it can afford opportunities for ALL students to complete tasks at their readiness levels in order to move their learning along.

One of the things I have learned when forming groups is I not only need to allow data and teacher observation to guide my decision ... but also student voice. Student voice through reflection and conversation. The groups need to remain fluid. I think building a sense of community early on in the math classroom helps students to understand that "fair is not always equal." Highly capable students are not highly capable in everything; struggling students have areas where they shine. Honoring where students are ready to learn is important to me, yet sometimes it is not always easy to find the "right fit" on the "first try."

Record Keeping. I jot down little notes in the moment when working with students so those thoughts and observations are not lost. Because I don't want to take away from the interaction with students, I keep my notes concise but try to target key points. Sometimes after reflecting about the lesson, I might have an afterthought and will jot down any additional ideas on a sticky note if there is no room left. One record-keeping sheet that I have used is the one below. Click on the image and grab the FREEBIE if it is something you can use.

Guided Math in Action: Chapters 1 & 2: Perseverance and A Numeracy-Rich Classroom Environment

 

Welcome to the Guided Math in Action Book Study hosted by Adventures in Guided Math. Today's discussion is going to focus on Chapters 1 and 2.

While reading the first few chapters, one of the key points that resonated with me was the goal of  Guided Math (GM) to meet students where they are so you can take them where they need to go (pg 9). For so long, this has been the goal/emphasis in reading that I am glad to see this is now shifting to math.

Another quote that stuck with me is from pg 11, "It means that if Johnny doesn't get it after you've tried to teach him three different ways, then you try a fourth." We talk about students showing perseverance, and sometimes, as teachers, we too, have to persevere in finding ways to reach all our students. It is the idea of filling a toolbox with ideas and strategies to pick, choose, and revisit as many times as necessary.

Chapter 1 ~ Guided Math: An Introduction

To help foster perseverance in the classroom, I have a bulletin board that addresses the 8 Standards of Mathematical Practice. Perseverance is covered in Standard 1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. As a class, we talk about the Standards of Mathematical Practice, and we anchor back into the practice when students do not show perseverance. It seems simple, but the visual reminder helps students remember what is expected. You can see where these mini posters were downloaded from if you click on the image.

As a class, we also talk about ways to overcome being "stuck" in math. Another strategy I use to foster perseverance is Need a Hand? Try This! Click here to read a previous post. Basically, there are tips on each hand that I encourage students to try before the infamous saying, "I need help." or "I don't get this." or "I can't do this." I encourage students to TRY THREE before ASKING ME.

Chapter 2 ~ Guided Math in a Numerate Environment

I keep a numeracy-rich classroom environment to help develop strong mathematicians. I have found it is better to start the year off simple and then add to the room as learning occurs and needs are recognized.

•  I like to use each new poster or anchor chart as part of a learning experience so students can make the connection and see value in it. I have been known to tell my students, "Take a short field trip to the back of the room and reread that poster. Come back and let me know what you learned/remembered." They *LOVE* to take a field trip and often come back grinning with the answer. 
• Math time should not be a quiet time. Looking on pg 17, I loved seeing all those -ing verbs that help to foster a numeracy-rich environment. For too long math was thought of as computing. Period. Posing open-ended problems with multiple solutions or multiple entry points of learning can foster rich mathematical discussions where students have to connect, explain, listen, and prove. The Tell Me All You Can Routine (pg 23) not only fosters fluency of thinking, but perseverance to tell ALL you can...and not stop at just one or two ideas.  
• I have a space where math manipulatives and math resource books are available for student use. Students know where they are; students know they can use them when needed. Something I was left to think about was when it mentioned on pg 23 that centers are brought to students to save instructional time. So much of math workshop is creating routines to maximize learning. 
• You have to love all the wonderful math literature that is available nowadays. No better way to launch a lesson than by reading a quick book about math...whether it is fiction or nonfiction. One book I love to launch the year with is Math Curse by John Scieszka and Lane Smith. It's a great book to make students realize that math is ALL around them! They live in a numeracy-rich environment. They just have to notice!!