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: December 31, 2016 in: assessment, differentiation, Engagement, feedback
So many teaching strategies come and go. There’s always a new idea or the latest gimmick to engage kids in learning. We have endless lists of buzz words and terms that describe various aspects of teaching and learning. Of all the strategies I’ve employed, the one that engages my students the most consistently is two words: […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: June 24, 2016 in: #tlap, differentiation, Engagement, differentiation, engagement
This is the time when teachers make those summer resolutions. They’re not unlike New Year Resolutions, except they have a summer spin. Every summer my list includes read more, exercise more, and organize my house. The actual projects might vary, but the ideas are the same every summer. Working on my “exercise more” resolution, I realized that […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: April 26, 2015 in: algebra, differentiation
Algebra can be very abstract for young students, but teaching with Algebra equation models makes it easy to learn. Students love learning Algebra this way and feel very smart when they can solve difficult problems using concrete models in math class. Students in my classes have learned to solve algebra equations using “Hands On Equations” by Borenson […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: October 29, 2014 in: assessment, differentiation, Engagement
What did I ever do without pretests and exit slips? These great formative tools are now some of the most important parts of the lesson. What do my students already know? What do they need to learn? Do they know it now? Pretests and exit slips are part of my expanded list of formative assessments. These quick […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: January 23, 2014 in: dice, differentiation, engagement. computation, Math
Dice add a magic element for any math lesson! Kids see dice as game pieces, but I see dice as a key to student engagement in math. Got dice? Add dice and leave the worksheet behind! The beautiful thing about using dice in math is that any lesson with dice comes to life! It might […] Read more
By: Mary Kienstra on: January 11, 2014 in: Collaboration, differentiation, Engagement, lanyard, Math
My latest idea for improving math engagement is what I call, “Lanyard Math”. Funny thing about this is that it is just the same problems from the student book – presented in a new format that makes them very engaging. Lanyard math is actually an idea that […] Read more
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