This week is my first official week of guided math. Our very first day was cut short due to a last-minute visit from the firefighters for Fire Safety Week. I was a little irked at first but then realized how great it was for our stamina building. I had mentioned that working hard for that last hour the day can be challenging. I worked through half of the rotations Monday and did my other half of rotations today. It was great! Tomorrow will be our first four rotations sessions. I have been very impressed with how well the partners do their activities/games together... and so quietly :) The students are so excited to come to the back table and work with me. I also get to connect with them on a more personal level than I usually do in whole group settings.
This week I read an article called What Does Good Math Instruction Look Like? from the September/October 2007 edition of Principal magazine. It was interesting that at our staff meeting this morning we talked about how we are pushing to design curriculums that are more focused yet deeper, rather than wide and shallow. This article's tagline mentioned a similar guide for schools. I also connected with the notion that students can develop their mathematical skills even further when working in pairs or a group. I can certainly see that happening, especially in the pairs, during our first few days of guided math. They have made up their own rules to the game to make it more challenging or to focus on a specific aspect of the day. It is fun to see!
Congratulations! At our school we are implementing Accountable Talk, because the research is shown to increase achievement. Your kids will learn a lot from each other by talking with one another. Are you using Daily 3 from the sisters, or what framework are you following for your groups? I am curious to know what your stations or work centers are called? How often will you change them?
ReplyDeleteI am kind of using my own framework... and certainly learning as I go. I have four stations that students rotate through (work with teacher, work on own, work in a group, work with a partner). Eventually I would like to incorporate a technology piece to it- maybe setup a game on the Smartboard? Students learn the new lesson when working with the teacher. Next, they rotate to working independently on an assignment. Then, they rotate to working in a group. This is usually a math board game that focuses on a particular skill. I change these every week. Working with a partner on a specific skill is the last rotation. These activities use some sort of manipulatives to practice the concepts. I change these less often- maybe once or twice each month since I really want the goal to really understand those concepts.
DeleteI think it is awesome that you are learning this about Math instructions and that your students will benefit. I think had I been introduced to the fact that I could process Math problems with others I would have had a lot more success in Math. I am a verbal processor and need affirmation that I am no the right track, and this sounds like that is what your students will get.
ReplyDeleteIs there a specific way you instruct students to work during group time? Do you coach them in how to work together or how to coach each other? If so, how?
I definitely see the verbal affirmation piece being addressed in this process. One part I am still working on is what to do with the kids working individually (specifically my low ones) who need that extra push but I am already working with another group. Maybe an extra parent volunteer to circulate around the room?
DeleteWe modeled what things should look like. It actually was quite smooth since our school also does guided reading so students are very familiar with what the time should look and sound like. I have introduced the idea that everyone gets to be a coach during our independent time. As the material gets more challenging I see this as becoming more and more important that students know how to not only ask for help but also give it as well. There is a difference between teaching how to do something and just giving the answer... we're working on that :)
Exciting to be done with your first week!! Fun to hear the students are changing the rules to make it more challenging.
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