Why do the Rules Make Sense?

This is a long overdue blog post! This year has gotten off to a great start, but like any other teacher it's been so busy! My energy is lacking due to some nasty germs invading my body, but I'm too excited to share this post to care!

Let me be honest, I have never really loved teaching math. I struggled with math as a child and still find certain mathematical concepts challenging, but this year has changed my mathematical mindset.

Here's why.

When I was in school, I was taught mathematical rules, such as how to borrow in subtraction, carrying in addition, looking at the digit before when rounding.  I used these rules to accurately, sometimes painstakingly, solve mathematical problems. But I never knew WHY the rule worked, why it made sense.

This year, my students are learning WHY certain mathematical rules make sense and HOW to represent these rules in different ways - and so am I!

Today was a particularly remarkable day in math class because I observed students representing 'carrying' using their place value charts.

We began by reviewing our objective (above) and exploring our Launch together in table groups. 

At this point, I did not tell them what a tape diagram was, I just asked them to use the figure below when they solved. I noticed most students using the  3 sections for the 3 numbers, those smarties!

As students worked collaboratively on the problems, I circulated  and observed some students rounding to the nearest thousand, and some to nearest ten thousand. When we came back together to share out, I had two students who rounded to different place value model their work. 

Students came to a concensus that rounding to the nearest thousand gave a more accurate estimation!

Next, we read the addition statement together and represented it on a tape diagram, labeling our unknown with the letter 'w'

Then we modeled it on our place value chart - here's where the magic started to happen. 

As we were adding up our number disks, we realized that there were more than 10 in our tens place. To represent the rule of carrying, we bundled a group of ten tens and drew an arrow to make one hundreds. Here is where students could visually make the connection between carrying when adding multidigit numbers! 

They had some practice with partners, and I was really impressed - check out this awesome, smart mathematical thinking!

Tomorrow, I'm excited to have my students dig deeper into word problems using tape diagrams!

Need some place value resources? 

Check out my newest product!

Currently September

I've linked up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade for my FIRST 'Currently' linky!

Listening -  The violent gun shots got on my nerves and have changed since I type it, haha! Calvin Harris is playing now! 

Loving - my husband and I got an espresso machine for a wedding gift and I just love steaming my milk and adding it to coffee :)

Thinking - I started my first year teaching mid-way through the year last January, so this is my FIRST year starting out in the fall!

Wanting - seriously, I need to do my laundry

Needing - I've got all day, but my anxiety will quiet down if I feel fully prepared!

3 trips - I LOVE going on vacation, but it hasn't happened too much, my honeymoon to Charleston was my first real vacation since before college. I've been to all these places except Boston and would love to go back, especially so my husband can see these beautiful spots! Boston might just be a birthday trip this year ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Classroom Reveal

I've linked up with The Primary Gal to reveal my classroom!

School starts in less than 24 hours and even though I'm feeling fairly high levels of anxiety, I know it's going to be a fantastic year and I'm beyond excited to get started! I can feel that this year I'm am going to grow leaps and bounds as an educator and leader!

My classroom was finished on Friday - a few small tweeks will be made tomorrow morning after having 3 days to ponder over it, but other than that I'm pleased with it!

Classroom Reveal, here we go!

This is the view from the door of pretty much the entire room! I should note that I teach ALL GIRLS, which explains why it's extremely girl friendly!

Let's go a little deeper into the elements of the room. I tried to be very purposeful as to what I put on the walls and where I put it.

This is my classroom clip chart, you can find that here!

At the end of each day, students will fill out their calendar which is initialed by me and their parent. 

It looks like this!

Next is the Math Wall. On this wall is problem solving strategy posters, Magic Math Words, T-chart and space for anchor charts to to be rotated out. This anchor chart will stay up for the first two days. It'll be switched out to a "math talk" anchor chart, probably on Thursday or Friday! Underneath I have posted the eight Standards for Mathematical Practices. 

Next, we have the Writing Wall/Center

Posted here is writing charts, Lucy Calkin's Narrative Writing Checklist & Rubric and my Writing Process Posters that may be used to track student writing, but for now it's just a reference to the process. I might end up blowing up the writing checklist and removing the "Let's Write" poster. 

Next, CAFE wall and Buddy Reading Center. I'm using the CAFE wall a little differently - I will put arrows next to the strategies my guided reading groups are currently working on (great idea from my literacy coach!). Also, during buddy reading, students can refer to the strategies.  

Thanks IKEA for the affordable and adorable rugs and pillows :)

You can get a peek at my word wall here - there's an alphabet word wall for literacy and content area wall for math, science and social studies. I have a close up but don't want my kiddos name's out for all to see :)

Here we have my ugly cabinet that I tried to brighten up - we have homework club, lunch count and the bottom is where my guided reading groups and schedule are posted. Guided reading objectives might end up being posted there or behind my guided reading table! 

On the door we have a "books we love" wall where students can use a large index card to illustrate and write about a book they love. 

Parking Lot - was not mine, a colleague was getting ride of it, this will be used for post-it exit tickets!

And my center rotations for Literacy (blue) and Math (pink) are posted here! 

Center rotation pocket chart:

Center bins for Literacy and Math. The small frames label my center locations and our class hand signals are posted here!

I decided to brighten up and add some wall space by covered the bottom of two of my windows, these will be for science and social study charts, concepts, etc. 

This is the Literacy Wall and Library area! 

The front of the room: 

My alphabet needs a little adjusting!

And our focus wall, this got a makeover about halfway through. It was already done, but my perfectionism kicked in and I just had to redo it. I'm much more pleased with it now!

This is our Data Wall. Here's I'll track local assessment data, standard breakdowns and Fontas and Pinnell data. 

Reading Data up close: 

Some random room photos!

We're all set for the first day! My husband helped get folders and books INSIDE the desks to limit the amount of stuff on their desks when they first enter. 

On there desks will be the take home folder, welcome letter, parent questionnaire, and homework packet. Also a student survey to complete after the folder gets put away while I collect supplies and other things and a sweet letter from my students last year to the new fourth graders. 

       

Cheers to a great school year!