Dear Educator,
Happy Teaching,
Kelly Harmon & Randi Anderson
3 Ways to Help Kids Love Math!
1. Give Students a Choice
For students to take ownership of their learning, they need to be provided with opportunities to make choices. Students can make choices about what they need to practice in math stations. Have students reflect on strengths and areas for growth. Fourth grade teacher, April Buchanan has students track their progress on focus standards and then choose activities to strengthen standards the student identifies as a need.
Students should also make choices about which strategy to use for solving problems. Encourage students to solve problems in a way that makes sense to them. By doing this, students will strengthen neural pathways through productive struggle and repetition. Also, when things don't work out as planned, the student identifies misconceptions and corrects their error, causing them to learn twice as much.
2. Make It Relevant
Have you ever asked "When will I ever use this in the real world?" while solving equations in a mathematics class? (Hand raised over here) Be sure to always give students a reason for importance and real world application for each concept taught. This gives students a sense of urgency when learning and practicing the concept. Use manipulatives and word problems that incorporate their real world interests!
3. Work in Teams
Teaming is all about collaborative thinking! In the real world, we are expected to work with others to accomplish a task. The classroom should be modeled like this. Students will need roles, or jobs, as part of the team to ensure everyone contributes to the work needed to accomplish a task. In math, students work in teams to solve problems and discuss their thinking. Teammates are accountable for their team's learning. Think win-win. When one team player wins, the entire team wins. There is no 'I' in team.
For more ways to get your students loving math, attend our Guided Math Workshop on April 26th or July 30th, 2018!!!!!
Poem in Your Pocket Day!
April 26, 2018
For more info on this special day, visit poets.org!
PB & J Partners
Turn-N-Talk
When students discuss their thinking, they are able to help process new content and hear other perspectives. It is important to teach students how to have A-B conversations. Students know who should talk first and we need to make sure everyone gets air time, not just those who love to talk.
One fun way to partner up students is to put them into 'peanut butter/jelly' partners.
Start by saying 'Peanut Butter ask/tell Jelly....'
Then ask Jelly 'What did you just hear your partner say?'
'How is this similar to your own view?' or 'What does your partner believe/feel?'
By putting students into partnerships, it is easy to keep up with who started the conversation last and provide opportunities for all to share and listen. Make sure to always give students open ended questions to turn and talk about with their partners. Turn and talks need to be worthy of a real conversation, so that students can share their thinking and learn from each other.
Other fabulous pairings!
- Mac & Cheese
- Milk & Cookies
- Meat & Potatoes
- Eggs & Bacon
- Lewis & Clark
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Let's Get Real! Equipping Students for ExpositoryJune 20 & 21, 2018 8:30am-3:30pm Dallas, TX 8:30am - 3:30pm San Antonio, TX Being able to comprehend and analyze expository texts is important for all students! Join Kelly Harmon for a two-day conference all about reading and writing expository texts. Learn ways to get students talking and writing about texts the first week of school. Walk away with activities to use immediately with your students that promote rigorous thinking and collaboration with peers. Dive into text structures, inquiry circles, and much more! Prepare your students to read expository pieces with ease and excitement. For more information, visit our flyer! | The First 25 Days of School for ELAR June 27, 2018 - San Antonio, TX 8:30am - 3:30 pm July 17, 2018 - Dallas, TX 8:30am - 3:30pm Start the school year off strong by setting up an engaging balanced literacy classroom! You will leave this strategy-packed day with ideas for building relationships, routines, and much more! See first hand classroom setups, schedules, and ideas for developing a growth mindset in your incoming students. Gain resources for building fluency, comprehension, and word skills in your first few weeks of school. Educators will have a venue for asking questions and gaining lesson planning expertise from your presenter. Register yourself or team today! For more info, visit our official flyer. | Using Guided Math to Strengthen Your Instruction July 30, 2018 Dallas, TX 8:30am -3:30pm In this interactive training, Kelly Harmon will share a variety of guided math strategies, techniques, and ideas for addressing all student's math needs. Walk away with resources and ideas for strengthening your math instruction immediately! You will learn the best research-based instructional strategies to help your students develop conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, fluency, and how to transfer those skills to math problem solving. For more information, visit our flyer! |
Let's Get Real! Equipping Students for Expository
June 20 & 21, 2018
8:30am-3:30pm
Dallas, TX
8:30am - 3:30pm
San Antonio, TX
Being able to comprehend and analyze expository texts is important for all students! Join Kelly Harmon for a two-day conference all about reading and writing expository texts. Learn ways to get students talking and writing about texts the first week of school. Walk away with activities to use immediately with your students that promote rigorous thinking and collaboration with peers. Dive into text structures, inquiry circles, and much more! Prepare your students to read expository pieces with ease and excitement. For more information, visit our flyer!
The First 25 Days of School for ELAR
8:30am - 3:30 pm
July 17, 2018 - Dallas, TX
8:30am - 3:30pm
Start the school year off strong by setting up an engaging balanced literacy classroom! You will leave this strategy-packed day with ideas for building relationships, routines, and much more! See first hand classroom setups, schedules, and ideas for developing a growth mindset in your incoming students. Gain resources for building fluency, comprehension, and word skills in your first few weeks of school. Educators will have a venue for asking questions and gaining lesson planning expertise from your presenter. Register yourself or team today! For more info, visit our official flyer.
Using Guided Math to Strengthen Your Instruction
Dallas, TX
8:30am -3:30pm
In this interactive training, Kelly Harmon will share a variety of guided math strategies, techniques, and ideas for addressing all student's math needs. Walk away with resources and ideas for strengthening your math instruction immediately! You will learn the best research-based instructional strategies to help your students develop conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, fluency, and how to transfer those skills to math problem solving. For more information, visit our flyer!
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Using Math Stations While You Teach Guided Math Groups 3 Hour Online Seminar June 29, 2018 What will the other students be doing while I'm working with small groups in math? In this interactive virtual seminar, Kelly Harmon will provide educators with an in depth look at math stations that are beneficial to students in building numeracy and problem solving skills. Walk away with math games to use immediately in math stations. Start your math stations on day 1 in your classroom! Register yourself or team today! For more information, click here. | Guided Reading From the Start 3 Hour Webinar July 13, 2018 Small group instruction is most effective for coaching students up, so start thinking 'guided reading' during your first weeks of school! In this 3 hour virtual seminar, we will provide you with information and ideas to get students digging deeper into texts. Explore resources and group planning structures for building your students' comprehension and fluency. Discuss grouping strategies and much more! For more information, visit our flyer! | Problem Solving During Guided Math Instruction 3 Hour Online Seminar July 27, 2018 Help your students become word problem wizards-even when two or more steps are involved! In this session, you’ll learn the steps to more efficiently process and solve word problems. Help your students more easily understand the problems and select efficient problem-solving strategies. For more information, click here! |
Using Math Stations While You Teach Guided Math Groups
June 29, 2018
What will the other students be doing while I'm working with small groups in math? In this interactive virtual seminar, Kelly Harmon will provide educators with an in depth look at math stations that are beneficial to students in building numeracy and problem solving skills. Walk away with math games to use immediately in math stations. Start your math stations on day 1 in your classroom! Register yourself or team today! For more information, click here.
Guided Reading From the Start
July 13, 2018
Small group instruction is most effective for coaching students up, so start thinking 'guided reading' during your first weeks of school! In this 3 hour virtual seminar, we will provide you with information and ideas to get students digging deeper into texts. Explore resources and group planning structures for building your students' comprehension and fluency. Discuss grouping strategies and much more! For more information, visit our flyer!
Problem Solving During Guided Math Instruction
July 27, 2018
Help your students become word problem wizards-even when two or more steps are involved! In this session, you’ll learn the steps to more efficiently process and solve word problems. Help your students more easily understand the problems and select efficient problem-solving strategies. For more information, click here!
Setting Up Your Classroom to Thrive
9:30am -12:30pm
Online
Join Randi Anderson for an interactive webinar all about setting up your classroom to thrive this year! Classroom space is limited, so every inch must be planned. Learn setup ideas for classroom libraries, wall spaces, student work spaces, whole group meeting areas and much more! 3 hours of professional learning credit will be awarded. For more information, click here!
Bring Seminars to Your District!
