By: Mary Kienstra on: October 28, 2017 in: #tlap, Engagement, estimation, Math
Teaching math on Halloween requires even more creativity than other days. Holding kids’ attention when they are only thinking about dressing up and trick or treating takes a special kind of magic. So what’s a teacher to do? Halloween estimation with pumpkins! Here’s the plan: Go to your local grocery store or anywhere that sells […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: August 6, 2017 in: Summer PD, Twitter, personalized PD, Twitter
Summer is the time when educators reflect and recharge. For most, the pace slows and allows time for thinking and planning, looking forward to the next school year. Many teachers engage in different types of personalized professional development , but the best (and most accessible) personalized PD is actually as close as your phone or […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: July 27, 2017 in: algebra, Engagement, Marcy Cook math, Math, algebra, engagement, math
The best games in the classroom have kids totally engaged and learning while they think they are playing. With games, kids can practice a variety of skills as well as strategic thinking. The idea is to give kids eight great ways to learn Algebra. With games. And this is before they ever see an equation with […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: July 17, 2017 in: differentiation, Math, differentiation, math
For so long, math class was every kid doing the same worksheet. But, as you know, not every student learns the same way of has the same skill set. As the students’ skills improve, teachers increase the rigor or level of difficulty. This reminds me of riding a bike when you use the gears […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: June 12, 2017 in: #tlap, algebra, emoji, Engagement
Algebra is fun and engaging when emojis represent the unknowns. Solving these equations seems like working a puzzle, not an Algebra problem. Kids love visual Algebra – emoji style. It doesn’t even seem like work. According to Jo Boaler, Visual mathematics is an important part of mathematics for its own sake and new brain research […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: April 18, 2017 in: coordinate grid, dance, Engagement, Uncategorized
When kids live the coordinate plane they actually remember it. Try these eight great ways to get kids to understand and remember the coordinate plane. 1. LIVE IT: Arrange the classroom on the coordinate grid. Attach tape to the floor and arrange the desks with “addresses” that represent the plane. As students come in, they pick […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: April 14, 2017 in: #tlap, Engagement, reading
Every teacher in every school is looking for ways to generate reading excitement. How do we get kids more excited to read? How do we motivate them? How do we make reading fun for everyone? This year was our first One Book One School. It was a huge success. We started with the idea that […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: April 2, 2017 in: #tlap, creating, Engagement, reading
Filling out a bracket for March Madness is always exciting. Which team will be this year’s “Cinderella?” How will my favorite team do? Which team will win it all? A few years ago I decided to capitalize on this excitement. In my classroom, it’s Book Madness 2017: Reading in the Brackets! If the brackets […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: March 9, 2017 in: algebra, distributive property, Math, math engagement
Box multiplication makes multiplying double digits concrete to young mathematicians. Instead of wondering where to put the digits and why they go there, kids are thinking of the area model of multiplication and filling in the boxes. The best thing about box multiplication is how easily it translates to the distributive property. Learning to multiply […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: February 6, 2017 in: Engagement, hyperdoc, reading
I’m not sure when I first saw a HyperDoc, but I knew right away that was something I wanted to try. After reading the book with my PLC, I was ready. I created my first hyperdoc to use with my reading class for our historical fiction unit. I know it will not be my last. […] Read more
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