Mathematicians LOVE Hot Cocoa
Who doesn't love a good mug of hot chocolate in the cold winter months? I'm always trying to tie in real-world experiences into my math lessons and what's better than combining math and hot chocolate? Do you have that one bulletin board in your building that everyone struggles with an idea about what should go on it? Does your principal randomly assign grade levels and/or teachers to make sure it gets decorated each month? Sometimes it can be a ...
Read MoreA Decimal A Day
The old saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." We've taken that old adage and put our own mathematical spin on it. Here at Making Math Make Sense, we are huge advocates of Daily Number Sense Routines. Kristin and I started doing the penny-a-day activity many years ago with our students. Over time, we have revamped the activity to make it fit a variety of needs. Since we have shared this with teachers, we often hear how quickly ...
Read MoreMath Picture Puzzles
How is math learning showcased in your building? Does each teacher put up their own displays? Do you have building-wide displays for visitors to view? Kristin and I love walking into buildings where you can see the learning taking place before you ever enter the classroom. Over the years I have worked hard to improve what I put up in the hall outside my room, but I'm always looking for ways to get the rest of the building involved. This year I ...
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Goal Writing... for students and you!
It's January 3. That means you may have either just come up with a New Year's resolution or you're possibly trying to come up with one. Some people are trying to determine their word for the year instead of a resolution. To be honest, I've never been able to complete a New Year's resolution and picking a word for the year has never been easy for me. The idea of a whole year focusing on something is too long and too much for me. I need shorter ...
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Multiplication Review
Coming back from break is not easy for students or teachers. I think it may even be harder for teachers. I think this was the first winter break in my 17 year career that I did less than 1 hour of school work. I'm not saying that to brag, but as something that some of you might need to hear. It's ok if you did not one ounce of school work over break. It's ok if you did hours and hours of school work over break. It's ok if you were somewhere in ...
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