Math

Math is something that I am particularly excited about.  I have always been a good math student and if I were still teaching middle school I would be teaching algebra.  I have spent the last 3 years really polishing my math time to try to create independent, thoughtful mathematicians.  I use a workshop model to carry out the Bridges math curriculum.

What you should expect to see

When we get everything up and going you will see students making choices about what they are doing during math time.  While I work with individuals and small groups, other students will be practicing previously learned skills, solving problems using math and completing their math job for the week.  The reason that I do this is I find it so much easier and faster to teach new skills to small groups or individuals.  Often when a student is having an issue with a concept it is because they have a small error in understanding.  When I taught to the large group these small errors were overlooked.  When I am able to see students individually and in small groups those misunderstandings can be cleared up quickly.

Students are also responsible for a math job each week.  It generally consists of 4 pages, from the Bridges curriculum, that allows them to work on their efficiency at new and previously learned skills.  These pages are commonly used across the district and they are skills that 3rd graders are expected to be able to do mostly by themselves.

They will also be responsible for practicing their facts for at least 10 minutes every day.  We will start with addition and subtraction facts and then move on to multiplication and division facts.  10 minutes a day doesn’t sound like much but that practice really helps students move quickly through simple math so they can tackle larger math problems.

The final choice during our math work time is called Workplaces.  They are Bridges games that come along with the curriculum.  They are games that help support the skills being taught in each unit.  For example there are many skills that are involved in multi-digit addition and subtraction, especially when there is carrying and borrowing involved.  So there are several games that help support up to 20 addition and subtractions, place value knowledge, grouping and breaking apart as well as promoting efficiency while working on math.   Sometimes it takes time for students to understand what skills they are building and sometimes the skills are very obvious to them.  We will spend quite a bit of time at the beginning of the year helping students identify what it is they are actually working on so they can synthesize all of the information they are getting during math worktime.  I will admit some games are so awesome and fun it doesn’t feel like work, while others are less exciting, but they all are great practice.

How you can know what’s up

Students do not often come home to tell you all about the math they did that day.  It is a very popular time of day for students but it is hard to tell someone who wasn’t there all about it.  So there are a couple of ways you can weasel in there to know what is going on.  There jobs will come home tucked in their homework journal.  All work handed back will be delivered home in this manner.  Generally they come home the week after students have completed it.  You can look through and ask them about it.  Also there is the Bridges Connections website.  It allows you to click through units to see what the main ideas are and it has some suggestions for what you could be doing.  Keep in mind that we do not always go in order so be sure the check the math tab for what unit we are on.