How will I establish a "good math climate" in my second grade classroom?
I definitely agree that my own attitude toward math sets the tone for my students and their families. I love teaching math and try to make clear to my students what the focus will be for a lesson and help them to see why it is important to learn. Margaret (from our MTM course) and I team teach so we both teach math - sometimes whole class and sometimes by skill needs. This gives us the opportunity to brainstorm ways to help our struggling math students. During the past year we had a small number of students who had difficulty with math. The good news is that they didn't realize it. One of them even said that he is great in math. By using volunteers and peers we were able to give these students extra practice with some very basic skills that they were missing. They could feel successful and better able to participate in lessons with the rest of the class.
Our week spent with Maggie, Peg, and Shawn will help me to be clearer about the math that students need as prerequisite skills to what I am teaching in second grade. I have always found it frustrating that literacy instruction is looked at on a continuum and we start our students from the point that they enter our classrooms; while in math we often just jump in where the program begins. I hope that working with colleagues will help me to be clear about where my students need the most help to be successful or the most challenge to remain interested.
Our school will be using a math program for the first time in many many years. Our staff will be learning together as we implement the Investigations program. I think that this program will encourage students and parents to share mathematical thinking.
I have recently read two articles that I think will be helpful as I meet my students where they are and encourage them to move forward in their learning. I think that you can probably get the articles through Marvel. I belong to NCTM and ASCD so I receive the journals and find them very helpful. The articles are:
"Identifying Opportunities to Connect Parents, Students, and Mathematics," Teaching Children Mathematics, August 2008. The author shares her experience with family math nights. Margaret and I have held a family math night during each of the last two school years. I am sure that we will do it again (with Sheila) but I am wanting to rethink some of our activities.
"The Power of Our Words," Educational Leadership, September 2008. This article is useful across all curriculum and refers to the Responsive Classroom approach.
Both articles are quite brief and I think that they will help me to set a positive climate for my students and their families.
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Oh, dear, I forgot a question!
The John A. Van de Walle and LouAnn H. Lovin book, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics is a very useful resource to me. It helps me understand difficulties my students are having and gives me some good background. Now I will also have Maggie's book.
Do you have any particular mathematics resources that you use regularly?
Pat, I had recently ordered the book you mentioned by Van de Walle and Lovin. I had read good reviews about it on-line. Now I have your endorsement, too. Thanks!
I always try to state or write the math focus for my students too. I am hoping that they can articulate what they are working on in math and maybe even why they are learning it(I hope).
Interesting Articles...
Pat,
There are two books that can help with remediation of a specific math concept that I want to share with you. Both books can help you review with students. The publisher is Great Source Education Group, a Houghton Mifflin Co., phone 800-289-4490. The titles are Math To Learn and Math To Know. They are teacher resource handbooks. Our Title I teacher uses them when she needs to help a student relearn a concept. They give you examples and steps to follow to cement math as a process. Hope these help when a student has holes in their math thinking.
MaddyR-4/5
Pat,
Thanks for the references to the articles. Could you please copy/paste them into a separate post, labeled 'Reading Room'? I will be asking everyone to do that to help us stay organized.
Regarding parent reluctance to attend math nights: It has become clear to me over the years that lack of attendance is often not a reflection of a lack of interest. Of course, there are many factors that contribute to this issue, but at the top of the pile is the load modern-day parents carry. Following close behind that, are there own insecurities around math. One of the strategies in this article suggests engaging parents in the student experience, i.e. investigating and discovering mathematical ideas (perhaps for the first time). I couldn't agree more. That is the hook - if we can offer up mangoes in inviting ways and get parents to actually taste them, chances are they will come back for more. But how do we get them in to take that first bite? One way of course is to structure it as a family fun night where kids come too. The week prior is the greatest attendance generator... countdowns, math magic, door prizes, mysteries to solve, morning math humor over the PA, math decorations throughout the school, sign-up sheets to bring home to parents, etc. The kids will do most of the work and are much better at convincing than we are! That's where the numbers will come from. Then, when you do get those parents in, get out those centers, rotate those groups, cut back the formal presentation, avoid any 'wins' that are dependent upon chance, and let them eat many mangoes.
Maddy,
I have the collection you are speaking of and I do agree they are great books to have in your library. I do, however, want to send out a caution on how they are used. They really should strictly be used for you as a teacher when YOU want to check on your own understanding of the mathematical idea. There is little discovery of the idea here, it is about clearly 'telling' it. They are great books if you don't use them literally. In other words, if the information is simply 'passed along' we aren't doing much more than has always been done. If, however, we use the information to inform ourselves, then set up situations and good questions to allow kids to discover those ideas, then great. That goes for any book, mine included. Could you please add a separate post with these resources cited, labeled 'Reading Room' along with your comment? Thanks Maddy.
Pat,
Can you elaborate a bit on what 'extra practice' means for your struggling students please? I am curious as to what that looks like.
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