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I will support you by…

As always, I hope you are happy, healthy, and loved.
I also hope your new year is off to a beautiful beginning.I always appreciate winter breaks, I can pause, catch my breath, and regroup. This break allowed me to visit Deep Couch City with my family and decompress.

Every year my husband, daughter, and I  go out of town to visit with family, but this year we decided to stay home. I permitted myself to say no, when I always said yes, even when I don’t want to. I gave myself and my family permission to say yes to relaxation, ourselves, and our well-being. My family and I were much happier and relaxed and appreciated one another. We were more patient and kind to one another.

I can also be a people pleaser at work. I work to meet teachers and administrators where they are, if they are comfortable with going page by page through a book, I do my best to work with it, but it can cause me to move away from the type of instruction in which I so deeply believe.

Are you looking to integrate literacy and mathematics?

I recently discovered this book about Jacques Cousteau and I think it does a wonderful job of turning challenges into strengths.

After reading the story you might ask your students:

How can your personal challenges make you stronger?

What is the distance between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arctic Ocean? If Jacques Cousteau sailed ___ miles, how much farther does he have to go?

Pretend you want to go on an adventure. Create a five-minute pitch that will convince investors to fund your adventure.

I believe…

I believe in asking students questions when I do not know the answer. I want to know students and uncover their strengths and misconceptions. I want to hear the kids’ thoughts and determine how to take them to the next level.

I believe in giving students open-ended word problems that make sense to them. I like watching students use the context of the problem to decide what operation they will use and the model that best represents their solution. I do not believe in giving them complex problems; I have to walk them through them step-by-step.

I believe in and love analyzing authentic student work, not worksheets. I love knowing what students are good at and deciding what skills they need to improve.

I love analyzing assessments to identify the underlying skills, strategies, and vocabulary students need to know to be advanced proficient.

I love creating small groups and providing strategic feedback and teaching points. I love watching students move into different strategy groups as their skills develop and their needs change. There is no way whole group instruction can address the needs of all your students.

The student’s underlying needs and skills can be identified to help them grow.

 

I don’t believe in …

I do not believe in showing students the same test problem ten different times as a method of instruction. The students may memorize the answer for that test, but they need to develop the skills, strategies, and confidence they need to be successful mathematicians.

I do not believe that it is the parents’ /caregivers’ responsibility to provide at-home instruction (I know). I believe it is the parents’/caregivers’ job to bring the kids to school.

I will…

This year if I have the honor and pleasure of working with you, I am going to:

nudge, encourage and support you in asking open-ended questions you may not have the answers for

help you create and pose open-ended Common Core word problems

analyze authentic student work samples (not worksheets)

identify students’ diverse underlying needs

design small group instruction to support students’ mathematical needs (and yes, it may include using tools).

develop a plan to ensure students are ready for end-of-the-year assessments

I will be persistent and consistent.

I will support you in stepping out of your comfort zone, no growth happens there.

I will support you with teaching kids, not tests.

I will support you in being the best version of your math-teaching self.

You know I love hearing from you!
What are you willing to do this year to become the best version of your math-teaching self?

Follow me on Instagram @Teaching1Moore for more ideas.
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