You are a Math Person: Promoting a Positive Math Identity with Students
Are you a math person? Do your students see themselves as math people? Students and teachers often hear that certain people are math people and others are not. The truth is that no one is born doing math, and everyone can get better and better at math. We also need to show students that being fast at calculations is not what makes someone good at math. Math takes hard work, thinking, problem solving, creativity, analytical skills, communication skills, and more. In short, there are many ways to be a math person. When we help students see they have many math strengths, they start to develop a positive math identity and see themselves as math people.
8th Grade Math Classroom Decorations and Back to School Ideas
Welcome your 8th graders back to school with these ideas! Classroom decorations and get-to-know-know you ideas can help set the tone for the year and give them a glimpse of what they’ll learn this year.
I’ve gathered some of my favorite resources for the first day and the beginning of the year for 8th grade math. Included are ideas for back-to-school classroom decorations, activities for the first day, and routines we can establish from the start.
7th Grade Math Classroom Decorations and Back to School Ideas
Here are some of my favorite resources for the beginning of the year for 7th grade math. Included are ideas for classroom decorations, activities for the first day, and routines we can establish from the start.
Math Without Tricks: Making Sense of the Division of Fractions
The "Keep-Change-Flip" (KCF) method is a common math trick used to teach students how to divide fractions. The instructions are simple: keep the first number, change the division sign to multiplication, and flip the second fraction. This method works and provides the correct answer, but there is a significant downside.
If our only focus is on getting the answer, KCF can seem very appealing. However, students often end up with no clue how they arrived at that answer or if it even makes sense. Additionally, tricks without meaning are frequently applied incorrectly in later problems, leading to confusion and errors.
I am a strong advocate of helping students understand that math makes sense. I'll show you a way to approach fraction division that gets students thinking critically and making sense of their answers.
STEM and STEAM Ideas for Middle School Students
S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) or S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities are an engaging way to get students interested in class. Many students may be surprised to learn that creativity plays a role in math fields. STEAM activities can allow students to apply the concepts they’ve learned in math or science class in new ways. While some schools are offering STEM classes, you may want to occasionally incorporate STEM or STEAM activities into your math class. I’ve gathered a few simple STEAM ideas that are perfect for engaging middle schoolers.
Winter Math Activities for Middle & High School
Seasonal math activities involving snowmen, snowflakes, penguins, hot chocolate, and all things winter can boost student engagement. I’ve collected some of my favorite math activities that have a winter twist. These are perfect for engaging practice, early finishers, a sub day, or right before winter break. I hope these will be fun for your middle and high school math students.
Productive Struggle: Fostering Deep Math Learning in Your Classroom with Discovery
Productive struggle is the process where students face challenging problems or concepts that they don't immediately know how to solve. However, they approach these challenges with hope and confidence, believing that with effort and perseverance, they can arrive at a solution. This is a mindset that takes time to develop.
Book Recommendations for Math Teachers
Have you ever read a book that significantly changed how you taught? I’ve picked out a few of my favorite books for math educators. I think these are must-reads for every math teacher.