Top 25 Elementary School Teacher Blogs of 2012

Marilyn's current thinking about math education and her ongoing classroom experiences and learning. A friend and I were talking recently about how much work we put into planning lessons. Even after all these years of teaching, I have to think through lessons as carefully as possible, both about the logistics and about the mathematical thinking I want to keep in mind and support. Here’s an example. DIY Rekenreks, Take 2 This post is an update to a post I wrote last year. I have found this version of the DIY rekenrek to be not only easier to make, but also more kid-friendly. Rekenrek translates loosely to calculation rack or arithmetic rack, and it was designed by a Dutch mathematician. The rekenrek is a great visual model for developing a strong sense of 5 and 10, and it supports a strategy-based approach for learning calculations. There are commercial rekenreks available.

Emergent Learner Learning Adventures with Mrs. Gerlach: Motivational Magic! SO we all know as teachers that the first couple of weeks is dedicated to working on routines and procedures... Many positive "motivation" factors are considered in my classroom :) My first graders thrive on these little tricks of the trade! This entire post is dedicated to what I like to call my box of "motivational box" (aka some of the many "tools" on my teacher belt!). 1.

The Elementary Math Maniac In Practice 8 Things to Look for in Today’s Professional Learning Over two years ago, I wrote “8 Things To Look for in Today’s Classroom”, and more recently, Sylvia Duckworth created the above visual that has been shared numerous times. As I am in the process of going deeper into the topic, someone asked me if this is something that we could do in professional development. As someone who is a big believer in creating experiences for educators where they partake in the types of learning that should happen in the classroom, I thought this suggestion made total sense. To be honest with you, professional learning in many cases needs an overhaul. If the best thing that professional learning has to offer is lunch, we need to think different. But how many educators are really excited about the types of professional learning opportunities that are offered in their school?

Mr Elementary Math Changing Horizons: A Blog by Martin Waller - Teacher and Educational Researcher Math Coach's Corner Fostering conceptual understanding with projects and rigorous problem solving.