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Frequently Asked Questions

What grade do you teach?
Tabitha teaches 3rd grade, and Chloe taught 3rd grade before going back to school full-time for a doctoral degree in August 2013. 

How long have you been teaching?
Tabitha just finished her fourth year of teaching. Chloe taught for 4 years and has completed her first year toward her doctorate degree.  

Do you have a Teachers Pay Teachers Store? 
Yes! You can find many of our templates and resources here. Our store is Math Workshop Adventures.

How long does it take to plan each week's math lessons?
Well, at the beginning of the year, it could take us four hours if we had to create several resources outside of the curriculum.  If the curriculum had several resources available, then planning and prep usually took an hour.  


How much of the district's curriculum, Everyday Math, do you use?
Fortunately, our principal gave us the go-ahead to use the curriculum (Everyday Math) to support this year's learning but not as the only resource.

When we mapped out the year we first considered which 3rd grade skills (from the Missouri Grade Level Expectations) were foundational. We plugged those skills into the year's map first. Then we tried to plan the rest of the year in the order of EM.

We typically taught an EM lesson on Monday for whole-class instruction during the time that we created an anchor chart over the week's skill. If that particular skill's unit contained multiple math journal pages and/or home links to support the skill, then we assigned those. Why create new materials when we already had several resources in EM? The EM curriculum does not contain content for every GLE that we are to teach. Therefore, we did quite a bit of searching and creating for those skills--properties of addition & multiplication, congruent figures, multiplication drill, analyzing and interpreting 4 different types of graphs.

In summary, we used the curriculum as much as we could, but we certainly relied on our creativity and other available resources (i.e. Super Teacher, Smart Exchange, Brainpop!, etc.)


This coming year (2014-2015) we have adopted a new math curriculum, MyMath. We look forward to updating throughout the year as we go on this new adventure!

What made you want to do math workshop?
We love the small-group feel of guided reading or book clubs.  Grouping students based on ability has allowed us to meet the diverse needs of our students.  We spent last summer researching different current practices involving small group math instruction.  We wanted to try it to differentiate instruction to better meet the needs of all students.

How do you hold students accountable for their work when you aren't working with all groups?

During workshop, Tuesdays-Fridays, students fill out this station sheet at the beginning of math with the activity at each station.  As they travel between the different stations, they fill out this sheet with the work that they complete at those stations.  If they play a game at the game station, they write down their work in that box on the station sheet.  These are turned in and checked daily for participation and completion.  



How do you monitor behaviors for the three groups not at teacher station?

1)  Voice levels on the station sheet serve as reminders.
2)  Students reflect on their adherence to math workshop norms at the end of each workshop.
3)  We often get the teacher station started on a problem that they can work out, while we do a quick walk around the room.
4)  Providing engaging, thought-provoking, and meaningful activities promotes on-task and appropriate behaviors.


How long is a typical math class?
Our math block lasts anywhere from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes each day. 
     





30 comments:

  1. I love this workshop!!!! Great ideas! Currently, we differentiate through leveled math and reading groups; however, we still differentiate within that group. I noticed you use Everyday Math...this is our core curriculum and we dont have enough time to get all the way through the math boxes....any suggestions?????

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    1. We made a difficult decision last year to break away from the tendency to teach only from the EM curriculum. Instead, we decided to use on those resources (math boxes, journal pages, lessons, etc.) that supported our state standards. When math boxes did not align to the instructional content, we created our own, reviewing skills taught since the beginning of the year. Let us know if you would like an electronic copy of these.

      Tabitha & Chloe

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    2. I would love a copy of anything you are willing to share. I began workshop last year spending the whole year trying to make it work. Your ideas are great and will definitely help this upcoming year. Teaching three sections of third grade math on my own won't feel so lonely. Do your kids go through all four stations daily? How are things progressing as we go to the common core?

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    3. T3, We have several copies, so email us at tleutsler@spsmail.org or csbolyard@spsmail.org, and we'll email some goodies out. :)

      Our student do go through all four stations daily. Please read our Getting Started or 4 Stations!?! posts to give you details about our math workshop.

      As for Common Core, that will be our next post! Our district just adopted Everyday Math's Common Core edition, so we will be tweaking our content appropriately. We'll keep you posted!

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  2. This is so great! I'm a 2nd year teacher, so I am always looking for ways to schedule my math block.

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  3. I'm going to try math workshops this year. I would also love to have any documents you would be willing to share.

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    Replies
    1. Hi James. We emailed the documents twice. Please let us know if you don't find them. Maybe they went to junk mail?

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  4. Hi Chloe and Tabitha,
    I am a third grade teacher from Philadelpha Pa and we also use EM. My grade partners and I are looking to start mathematics workshop and I am so glad that I found this site. It is so helpful, thank you both! ( I didn't even know that EM had a common core edition! With all the budget cuts, I doubt we will get the newest addition.)
    If you are still willing to email any copies of your worksheets you are willing to share that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again, and I've bookmarked this site!
    Andi Romero
    andical@yahoo.com

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  5. Hi Chloe and Tabitha,

    I am an intern in a fourth grade classroom. My cooperating teacher had a baby and I am now taking over the classroom! I feel that our current math strategies do not reach to every student. I've been brainstorming and pulling a few ideas from each resource I find to create the "perfect" math workshop (if there even is one!!) If you are still willing, I'd love to receive some copies of your worksheets! This site has definitely been added to my FAVORITES!
    Thank you so much!
    -Chloe limegreenbutterfly@gmail.com

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    1. After looking out our site, which worksheets that you see would be the most helpful?

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  6. Wow- great ideas! :) I teach a mult-age 3/4 classroom. I am trying to implement a math workshop- your blog is a huge help. I would Love any additional materials you might have if you wouldn't mind sharing? Thank you!
    Sad211d@yahoo.com. Thanks! Sarah

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    1. Which resources from our blog would you like?

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  7. I just found your blog through pinterest and I love your math workshop! I do something similar but I definitely need to add the facts station. My favorite is the student notebook. If you are willing to share any of the copies that students put in their notebooks (measurement, perimeter, etc.) I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for sharing your ideas!
    Jacki

    Jmckinney@muncie.k12.in.us

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    1. Jmckinney,

      We love math workshop as well and the student notebook is our favorite implementation this year. I sent an email to you with an outline of our frayer model anchor chart.

      Tabitha

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  8. Love your blog...Very helpful

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  9. Hi! I will be teaching 3rd grade next year and your blog has given me a great start. I would also love any additional materials that you use for the student notebooks if possible.
    Thank you,
    Tina

    twong7@lausd.net

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    1. Hi Tina!

      Thank you for reading our blog! I sent you an email with some materials!

      Tabitha

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  10. I am totally reworking my math block and have fallen in love with your site. I already use interactive notebooks and love your blank notebook templates for the students, is there anyway you would be wiling to share them with me?

    Thank you for helping me wrap my head around some new ideas,
    Julie

    julie_cutter@hotmail.com

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    1. Julie,

      Thank you for reading our blog! We love doing math workshop. I sent you an email with some materials. Enjoy!

      Tabitha

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    2. Thank you so much for all of the great ideas that support math workshop. I would love to have some copies of your work as well. Thanks so much!!!

      Jenn
      jenn.walling@yahoo.com

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  11. I am trying Math Workshop for the first time this year with my 3rd graders. It is the first time I'll be using the Frayer Model and math notebooks in such detail! I would really appreciate any info you'd be willing to pass along to help me transition smoothly this year! I too have bookmarked your site and pinned it to keep it safe! Thanks for any help you can send my way! My email is mhahnteach@yahoo.com

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    1. Melissa,

      Thank you for reading our blog! I sent you an email with some documents I thought might be helpful to get you started. Let us know how this year goes for you!

      Tabitha

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  12. Hi! You have a great blog! Your anchor charts and graphic organizers are really kid friendly. I would love to have copies of the graphic organizers for the student notebooks, if you wouldn't mind sharing? Thank you for posting and sharing! I'm new to 3rd grade and blogs like yours are so helpful! Thank you!

    sim_jl@yahoo.com

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    1. Jaime,

      Thank you for reading our blog! I sent you an email with some documents that you might find helpful.

      Tabitha

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  13. This is a great resource! I teach in a resource room and I am always looking for anchor charts for visuals for my students. I would appreciate anything you can share.

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    1. Betty,

      Thank you for reading our blog! Send us your email address and we can send you some helpful documents.

      Tabitha

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  14. I am very impressed with your hard work and dedication! I am always looking for extra resources for my Spec Ed class. Anchor charts really help them visualize what they need to do. If you can share any I would appreciate it! Thanks

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  15. Betty,

    We would be happy to share documents with you! Just send us your email address.

    Tabitha

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  16. Hi. This is my 2nd year teaching 3rd grade. Previously, I taught middle school. I attempted to do interactive books, and frayer model vocabulary with the 3rd graders and it was not as successful. Any suggestions?

    My schgol does not have a set curriculmn for math. They use the state guidelines. I have found alot on your site. Thank you.

    Debbie
    dlcleveland67@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. Debbie,
      Thank you for reading our blog! How did you present the information to students? We gathered students on the carpet and created the anchor chart together. Brainpop videos and manipulatives were also incorporated to increase engagement levels and understanding. We did this on Mondays as we introduced the skill. The rest of the week we focused on rotating to different stations focusing on that skill.
      Tabitha

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