Adventures in Junior High and Mathematics
Like it or not, the end of the year assessments are quickly approaching. With this looming reality, test prep has been on my mind lately, as I’m sure it has for all my colleagues out there. So, how can we prepare for these assessments without losing our freakin’ minds? Here are some tips for test prep that are helping me navigate this time of year and feel confident sending my students into statewide assessments.
[Read more…] about Test Prep: Tips for Getting Ready for the Big Test
This week we learned a great way to distinguish between the different options of how many solutions exist when working with two equations in a system of equations. I was working with a group of students who were struggling to really see what they were trying to do when identifying how many solutions are possible. They just didn’t understand what it meant for a system of equations to have one solution vs. no solutions vs. infinite solutions. So, we started adding the strategy of hand gestures, and it really seemed to help some of them understand this topic differently.
[Read more…] about How Many Solutions Does the System of Equations Have? Teaching Tip
It’s funny how the very same students whose eyes glaze over when you put a worksheet in front of them, perk up when you present the same kind of work in a novel way. Take math maze games as an example. These mazes require that students solve a certain number of problems, but because they’re also trying to get to the finish line at the same time, students are so much more engaged when practicing. Today I’m sharing 8 ways to use mazes in your math classroom.
One of the most rewarding things about sharing resources on Teachers Pay Teachers is that through feedback, you can actually hear how real life teachers use these downloads in their classroom. It’s amazing to hear about their experiences using games, puzzles, and activities that I’ve used with my own students. So, when thinking about all the different ways to use math maze games in the classroom, I turned to the comments from other teachers and their great ideas and insights on using mazes with students.
[Read more…] about Using Maze Games in the Middle School Math Classroom
We’re so excited to be over at Education to the Core talking about using games in the classroom. We’re big believers in the power of games to promote student engagement and get students lots of high quality practice.
But, we also know that sometimes games in the classroom can be chaotic or ineffective. We compiled a list of 8 Do’s and Don’ts for Using Games in the Classroom to reflect some of the lessons we’ve learned over the years (and often, the hard way!!) We also have a great freebie waiting for you to accompany this post: Middle Grades Math Game Sampler Freebie.
Please join us at Education to the Core and let us know what you think!! 
