On Monday, we created this anchor chart with our classes:
We also watched Brainpop!'s Rounding video and stopped before the Rounding Decimals part.
Students copied the anchor chart into their notebook onto their Frayer model anchor chart:
We also felt that it would help students to have a hundred chart with rounding tips, so they glued this chart from Super Teacher Worksheets into their notebook for this week, too.
Switching Groups Mid-Week
For the first time since starting math workshop, we changed our four math groups mid-week this week. We noticed certain students in the lowest group grasping estimation quicker than students in the low-medium group. Based on yesterday's closure activity and in-class observations at the teacher station, we swapped some students between the red (lowest) and yellow (low-medium) groups. For example, Johnny was in the red group but was catching on quicker than Suzy in the yellow group, so we switched the two. Today, Suzy received more support during teacher station because her peers were at the same instructional level. This change emphasized to us how important ongoing assessment and closure are to driving instructional decisions. This is truly differentiated instruction.
Another Math Workshop Board
Anchor charts from the year so far...
Join us next week for a Q & A with a guest blogger, a fourth grade teacher starting math workshop this year! :)
--Tabitha & Chloe
When do you use the math anchors? Are they done at one of the centers or do you explain that with the whole class?
ReplyDeleteThanks! Allison
We make the math anchor charts every Monday as a whole class. The students copy their version while we are making the class chart at the carpet. This is the only day that we teach whole-class.
Deletehow is it that you only teach whole group once a week? How do you get more than one concept in?
DeleteCerrissa,
DeleteGreat question! We only focus on one concept a week. For example, this week I am teaching elapsed time and next week we are focusing on estimation to the nearest 10 and 100. Each common core standard is assigned a week throughout the school year. This way we are able to teach whole class on Monday to build the student's knowledge on the concept and then throughout the week we do workshop stations that build upon that skill. The stations are differentiated for the groups so that the students are learning on their level.
Tabitha
I'm so glad that I saw this!! We were talking today about ways to use the Freyer Model in our classroom during math time! I just shared a link to your blog with my team! I'm excited to incorporate these into my minilessons
ReplyDeleteAwesome! We rely on the Frayer Model each week! Send us some pictures of what you come up with! :)
DeleteMy cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!
ReplyDeletePoint Estimation Training
Awesome!! My teammate found your blog via Pinterest and shared it with me...I'm so glad she did!! I spent a lot of time last summer looking for a math workshop model to use and came across the BUILD model which I implemented this past school year. I love the workshop model for math, but I was definitely missing the awesome interactive student journals you use. Do you have blank templates of the student notebook handouts you used that you'd be willing to share??
ReplyDeleteMy email address is ksmolton@gmail.com
Thanks so much!
Thank you for reading our blog! I sent you an email of the student notebook anchor chart.
DeleteTabitha
I found your blog through Pinterest today searching for math notebooks. I teach Resource, and started basic notebooks last year. The kids really liked having the reference handy, since I don't have a lot of room for anchor charts. ( I teach 1st-4th- can't have them all out at once!) I saw above that you were willing to share your notebook pages- is it possible to get a few of the templates so I have a place to start? I can tell I'll be back to this site for tips for my 3rd and 4th graders! Thanks for sharing such great examples- exactly what I was looking for! My email is pnorman@pasadenaisd.org Thanks from Texas!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading our blog! I will send you a blank anchor chart template. Then you can look on our blog for the pictures of what to put on the anchor charts.
DeleteTabitha
Your blog on Pinterest is awesome! Thanks for sharing such great ideas! This school year I will be teaching math and science (3rd grade) and would like to know if you could please share templates for journal writing since with Common Core students must write at the end or during each lesson.
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance for whatever you may be able to share. My email is lajames@dadeschools.net
Thank you for reading! I shared a few documents with you through your email.
DeleteTabitha
I teach third grade and have incorporated math workshop into my teaching the last several years. I am also hoping to add student journals and would love a copy of any templates you are willing to share. Manna@hlcsk12.net
ReplyDeleteThank you for checking out our blog! I sent a few documents to your email.
DeleteTabitha
I love your journal ideas and would like to incorporate your student journal ideas with my first graders and was hoping you would share some of your templateswith me. My email address is toniagaston@sheldonisd.com
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading our blog! I sent some documents to the email address you provided.
DeleteTabitha
I would LOVE some of your templates for anchor charts and anything else you would like to share. Your ideas here are straight-forward and so helpful. I love the record sheet. We use Everyday Math as well. Do you have all students do math boxes every day or just practice pages, or does it depend on the group? Some of the EM units teach a skill a day--especially unit 1. It bops around from geometry concepts (LOTS of vocabulary) to adding/subtracting large numbers. How do you make that ONE whole group lesson on Monday? Do you make it through all 12 units of EM in one year? Our district has done a good job of helping us determine which lessons to keep or throw out to align with CCSS but, there really only a handful of lessons to toss out. I love the idea of only doing one whole group lesson per week and using math journals versus a mini-lesson each day so that we have more time for rotations. We have 1 hour and 20 minutes for math each day. ONE last question--How do you teach the rotations/expectations at the beginning of the year? Do you add rotations slowly so that kids can get independent with them (practice the expectations) or ??? Thanks for sharing!!! jennifer_butler@beaverton.k12.or.us
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
DeleteThank you for reading our blog!
We do math boxes once a week on Thursdays. Sometimes all of the groups complete the same math box that we create, other times the math boxes are differentiated for the groups. We use EM as a supplement and only use it when it fits the skill of the week. So if we are teaching shapes and an EM lesson has geometry and subtraction in it, we would just use the geometry concepts to support the lesson. So we do not necessarily complete all of the EM units, we teach the Common Core Standards and plug in EM as we go. Having an hour and twenty minutes a day is great! That gives you plenty of time for math workshop! I take the first 3-4 weeks of school to do review skills for the students, so that they are successful at each of the stations. This way we focus more on the expectations than the math skills. I explain each station and then have the kids go out and try it. It can get pretty chaotic but we do a lot of discussion and reflection as a class to make it better. I am also, very specific with my expectations and there are consequences for making poor decisions. Hope this helps! I also, sent you some documents to the email address you provided. that you might find helpful.
Thanks so much! My brain is busy wrapping my mind around all your ideas and planning how to run our math workshop. I teach with a partner--we do a partial week job share--so I have one more brain to tap as well. :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great week! Jennifer
Jennifer,
DeleteWe would love to hear how Math Workshop goes for you this year!
Tabitha
I Love your ideas, please email me the templates and anchor charts!!! I am a new teacher and I need help. Thanks AmaraD@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteAmara,
DeleteThank you for reading our blog! We love doing math workshop. I emailed you some documents that might be helpful.
Tabitha Eutsler
Do you switch your stations daily to do different activities on the same content ? I was looking around your blog and you mentioned that you rotate the students 10-15 minutes so that must mean you change activities daily, no?
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading our blog! It depends on the skill of the week and how often we change activities. The independent station is different everyday with new worksheets or activities for the students to complete. The game station may change each day or students may play the same game all throughout the week. The fact station stays the same throughout the week but changes the next week. The teacher station changes daily according to what each group needs. I plan day by day according to how the students did the day before and what they need the next day to continue their understanding of the concept.
DeleteTabitha