Now that the end of the school year is approaching, I have been reflecting on the changes in math instruction that I have observed at St. Marys. I've heard teachers questioning students about their thinking. Students have been provided opportunities to work together and take time to work through problems. Teachers have provided rigorous tasks that do not have a simple solution. I hope that we can all continue these practices so that they are the norm in every classroom every day.
I am so thrilled to report that the 5th graders I tested are using the strategies that they have been taught. They are being thoughtful about their answers. They are providing explanations and "proof" of how they are deciding on their answers. They are using their time wisely and attempting all of the problems. Regardless of the outcome of the scores, I can honestly say that they did their best. I am so proud of them! We, as educators, need to continue to encourage and motivate our students so that they will always give their best effort.
Please share your math accomplishments with everyone on our blog. :)
I have been using essential questions throughout the year to spark interest and discussion for the lesson. My students have really begun to think deeply about their math reasoning skills and make sure that their answers are reasonable to the problem presented. This is not to say that they are always correct, but they are thinking critically and making sure their answers are somewhat reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that as I grow as a teacher and become more comfortable in my teaching "skills” that my students grow as well. I am so proud of what most of my students have accomplished so far this year. They are questioning their own thinking as well as questioning other students' thinking. They are eager to know how someone got an answer instead of just knowing what the answer is and moving on to another problem. I have seen in past years that many of my students do not get excited about math, and shy away from it. But, this year I am feeling that my students are thrilled when we get to math because they are problem solvers and love to be able to use that in class daily. I would love to go to some more professional development math classes to learn how to get my future students even more excited about math!!
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