Guided Math Chapter 2

Guided Math Book Study

How does my Classroom Environment measure up to the Principles of Guided Math?

“Learning at its best is a social process” 

This is noticeable during math stations.  Both teacher and students are “active participates in learning.”

“It is okay to make mistakes”

I let my little ones know they learn from their mistakes but deep down I don’t think they believe me.  I need to help them move to that next level of understanding.

I want to add a number line underneath my smart board.  

Classroom Arrangement

+Large Group Area

+Daily Calendar includes hundreds chart on smartboard.. should I make this visible by hanging it up somewhere in the classroom??

+small group area

use little white boards more as part of the learning process

This is my math center.  I need to rethink how I use the easel.  I might flip it the other way and have math vocabulary on it.  My little ones use the magnetic white board to put math manipulatives on it. 

Class Expectations

+Everything has a home

+Everything is labeled and easily accessible

Spend time carefully teaching procedures of cleaning up at the beginning of the year it will save time later.

Spend more time on behavior expectations and working independently, what should they do if they have a problem or if they finish early.

Clearly marked finish box and Pick Up Box.

Interruptions should only be for the bathroom!!!

This is the chart I made last year.  I definitely want to redo this!  I need to address what to do if you finish early and what do if you have a problem.

Morning Calendar Routine

This was new for me this year.  I really do not know where I adopted this idea from because I would love to give credit to that teacher.  However I took it from someone online and my partner teacher and I made something that worked for me. 

My little ones came in and signed in and then began their calendar journal.  They traced the name of the month.  They circled the day.  Then they printed to the date.  At the beginning to the year we did this together as the year went on they are capable of doing this without instruction.  I do not have a picture of this because it changes every year. 

Then they read on the carpet until I started the  smart board calendar.  When we get to the tally marks in the calendar they returned to their seats and we completed the calendar journals together. 

This changes throughout the year as well.  At the beginning of the year we count to the 100th day of school.  Then at fourth quarter we switch and count backwards to the last day of kindergarten.

Each day I taped in a problem of the day.  I purchased them from Mrs. Wills’ blog or Mrs. Jump had some as well.  I even made some on my own to match some of our themes.

Chapter 2 suggests a Math Journal….do I want to add this as well?  A math journal would be a place where my little ones could draw math vocabulary.   A place where my little ones could practice other activities or notes from small group or Math Huddles. 

What can I add to my classroom environment to show the importance of mathematics?

I want to move my teaching style to be more where the teacher shares in the process of learning.  Where the teachers models, facilitates, and co-learns with the students.

A sign of a productive classroom is ideas.  This is something I feel my students are afraid to express ideas.  They always want to know what is right, Am I doing this right.  I want them to express more ideas.

I also need to work on this in math and reading and writing…..does it make sense!!!!

Think it through

·      Explain your thinking

·      Listen to one another

·      What other ways could this problem be solved?

Sharing builds confidence

Thinking back to my classroom last year I didn’t have the number words, shape words, size words, and other math vocabulary hanging up in my classroom. 

I want to create more graphic organizers or charts to display in the math center for my little ones to refer too.

Most Importantly I want to make sure that when we read literature WE look for a math connections.  I want my little ones to realize that math is part of our daily lives, just like I do with reading.

If you want to read more thoughts from Chapter 2 Guided Math I linked up at 3rd Grade Gridiron

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