Math Mondays with Tanner

April 8, 2024

Build Math Minds

Welcome back! I hope you slowed down, listened to your body, and took a break last week. Breaks look different for each of us. Some of us get out of town while others stay on the couch all day, some of us put our laptops away while others work a little bit each day, some of us drink our coffee while it's still warm while others sleep in so late there's no time for coffee, and some of us don't talk to a single person while others surround themselves with their family and friends. Whatever Spring Break looked like for you, I hope you are recharged and ready for the last 42 days of the school year.

With that being said, it's about to get real. We're working against the clock to finish up this school year. As a classroom teacher, I always loved this time of year because my kids and I were in such a natural groove. They knew what I expected. I knew what made them tick. We had inside jokes. They knew I would lose my cell phone somewhere around the classroom and they'd have to find it before we could leave the room. I felt so much pressure and had so much anxiety at the same time. I still feel this pressure and anxiety as an instructional coach.

Take care of yourself and commit to taking an intentional break each day. Small moments of self-care are realistic and help us recharge in small increments. Rather than a quick PD tip this week, look through the ideas below. We've got plenty of time to build math minds (and reap the benefits), but that can't be done if you're burned out and over it. Take a deep breath, pull up a number talk, do your best teaching, and ease into this Monday. I'll be around to check on each of you and see how I can help take something off your plate this week as far as math instruction is concerned.

DreamBox Classes of the Week

These classes had the highest number of average completed lessons for their grade level last week. This weekly reward comes with 10 extra minutes of recess. Thank you for prioritizing DreamBox and for helping our students close gaps and engage in enrichment opportunities!

This Week's SC Ready Essential Skills Check-Up

We will begin the essential standards skill check-ups this week. I will put these into your Mastery Connect trackers and create the quizzes. There is no work on your part. All you need to do is ensure that your students complete this quick quiz during their mandatory DreamBox time. It will only be 4 or 5 questions, so 25-30 minutes is more than enough time to work. Students should be expected to show their work and take their time. If I were you, I would collect their work to send the message that you are serious about this. The goal is to see what students remember and to help give all of us a data-informed approach to end of the year "review time."

Tuesday, April 9

3.NSBT.4 - read and write through 999,999 in standard and expanded forms
4.NSBT.4 - add and subtract whole numbers
5.NSBT.1 - a digit is worth 10 times or 1/10 times more than the digit to its right or left

Thursday, April 11

3.NSBT.2 - add and subtract whole numbers through thousands place
4.NSBT.1 - a digit is worth 10 times more than the digit to its right
5.G.4 - hierarchy of 2D shapes based on angles, sides, lines, etc.

I will help pull apart the data with each of your teams during our weekly math planning meetings over the next five weeks. This will include gathering resources and planning manageable reteaching groups to effectively utilize and react to this data. I'm your partner in this and on this journey, too.

AVTs for Math MAP

As a reminder, Rock Hill Schools uses AVTs instead of the NWEA-generated goals for MAP testing. Spring goals do not change based on a student's fall or winter score. This means that if a child has already met their spring AVT, they need to maintain (and hopefully continue to make progress). You will receive a paper copy of all spring AVTs from me during Tuesday's faculty meeting. Please use these for goal setting conversations with your students. Student awareness of their goal is key.

Math MAP Incentive

As you begin to have conversations with your students about math MAP test, let them know that they will receive a "show your work" packet from me. Older students will have graph paper in their packets. Students are also permitted to use two colored pencils (or crayons) to mimic SC Ready. Packets of students who took their time will be collected, and four students from each class will be randomly selected to attend an extra recess and a popsicle party. My focus is on effort.

Spring FastBridge Window Has Been Extended

After speaking with Marco, it is my understanding that the spring FastBridge window has been extended until Friday, April 26. This gives you an additional two weeks to assess students. If you have any questions or need help testing your class, please let me know!

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!