Math Mondays with Tanner

January 29, 2024

Build Math Minds

"Open Middle Math" - Episode 43

There's more than one way to skin a cat. There's also more than one way to solve a math problem. Robert Kaplinsky is a math teacher who started the "Open Middle" website. Robert talks about how all students should have the same beginning (the task) that helps them get to the same ending (the solution). Their middle (the thinking and the strategy work they do) should be unique.

"All of our kids learn differently, so let them find their answers in their own way. The middle of a math task is the part where each kid's own understandings, or misunderstandings, come out. But if we are dictating what they do in the middle, all we see is thier attempts at parroting back what we tell them to do instead of seeing what they are actually able to do. I also feel like this is the reason kids find math so boring - the middle is closed. When you open the middle up, you get to see so much more of what your students know about math but you also make math more fun."

CLICK HERE to go to Robert's website. The menu bar up top allows you to pick a grade level, pick a content strand, and then open up a ready-made math task that prioritizes independent thinking!

100th Day of School Activities

We will celebrate the 100th day of school on Tuesday! CLICK HERE to open a file that includes a bundle of activites you can use if you find yourself in a celebratory mood. There's something for everyone - even our fifth graders who will celebrate their 1,000th day of school on Tuesday!

Math MTSS Updates

Please be aware that Anita and Leslie's schedules may be interrupted this week due to MAP testing. We will meet next Wednesday to look through test results and to create schedules and groups. The goal is for these new Tier 3 groups to begin on Monday, February 12.

SC Ready Testing Blueprint

One of my goals is to always make sure you have every bit of information that I have. I am including the SC Ready testing blueprint for our upper grades below. We will talk more about this as we get closer to May, but I wanted to go ahead and put this on your radar.

AVT Goals for MAP

MAP testing will take place this week on Wednesday and Thursday. I encourage you to have goal setting conversations with your students if you have not already done so. If you have any questions regarding the AVT process, send me a message. If you are missing a student's AVT goal for MAP testing, please CLICK HERE. If you have already submitted a student's name, please CLICK HERE. If you would like to review the Ready, Set, Goal presentation from last Monday, please CLICK HERE.

Where Are My Slides?

I hope you found the district slides to be thought-provoking and useful during first semester. Whether you used them daily or if you just paged through them to find activities and to make sure your instruction was up to par with the level of the standard, these slides continue to be a resource for you to use. As you look ahead on the Quarter 3 pacing documents within Canvas, you may be thinking "where are my slides?" A team of four math instructional coaches (myself included) are in the process of creating these slide decks. Across six grade levels, we are creating slides for 270 days of instruction for just this quarter alone. Our goal is to provide quality material - even if that may take a little bit longer. We are committed to publishing each slide deck by the teaching date on the district calendar. We all appreciate your fleixbility and hope the wait is worth it. Let me know if you have any questions or if your team needs materials while these slides are in progress.

Tanner's Schedule for the Week

As a coach, my schedule is flexible. Please realize that my schedule will change based on what is included below. This gives you a rough idea of when I will be out of the building, in coaching cycles with teachers, or in meetings. If you need anything, reach out and let me know how I can help!