At this point in the year, your small group instruction is up and running, but you may be feeling the need for a change, or you're curious if there's a better and more efficient way to run small groups.  The truth is, there is no one best way to pull small groups. What works for one teacher may not work for another, and what works for your class one year may not work the next year. Because of this, it’s important to have different approaches to small group instruction. In this week’s...

While many lessons can be taught easily in one day, interpreting the remainder isn’t one of them. Students not only need time to process the different ways to interpret remainders, but they also need a lot of practice. This additional practice will help students see the similarities and differences between the various ways to interpret the remainder. In Part 1 (last week), I focused on the concrete and pictorial phases of the CPA approach. In this episode, I focus on the abstract phase and...

Interpreting remainders is one of the most challenging skills to teach. Students often lack the real-world experiences these questions refer to, making our job as teachers even more difficult. So, what can we do to help students overcome these challenges? In this week’s episode, I share two small changes to my instruction that made a big difference in not only my ability to teach this lesson but also my students' ability to understand. I explain how to use a 3-step CPA approach (concrete,...

Chances are you have a few sets (or maybe stashes) of task cards in your classroom, some of which haven’t been used in years. You’ve most likely used them for small group instruction, but task cards aren’t just for small groups! They are an extremely versatile resource that can be used in many ways. In this week’s episode, I share 5 of my favorite ways to use and repurpose task cards to help you get the most out of these resources. I share ideas for choice boards, partner activities to pair...

Small groups are often where the aha moments happen. Students sometimes need just a few more practice problems before the concept sticks, which is why small groups are so important. Now that you know how to differentiate and scaffold math centers (from Episodes 10-12), you might wonder what type of activities to use. In this week’s episode, I share 6 of my favorite activities to use in small groups, some of which are ideal for differentiation, and others that are just as effective but with...

In this third and final episode of the series, I share specific examples for you to use in your classroom that are scaffolded and differentiated across three levels.  The first level includes additional support for strugglers with a lower difficulty level. The second level includes grade-level questions with little to no support, and the last level provides unique and fun challenges for your high achievers! The skills discussed are as follows: 3rd Grade: 1. Determining the unknown within a...

When it comes to your math centers, it’s important for students to have different levels of questions to choose from. Are they struggling and need to solve a simpler problem first? Do they understand and need more challenging questions? Creating leveled math centers helps meet the various needs of your students. While this may seem like a daunting task, it doesn’t have to be! In this episode, I break it down and explain how I used a traffic light self-assessment to help my students assess...

When it comes to differentiating math centers, how prepared and confident do you feel? Many teachers are overwhelmed by the thought of it and therefore avoid trying to differentiate instruction. Others feel they don’t have the time or the resources to differentiate. These feelings often come from common misconceptions teachers have about differentiation. In this episode, I clear the air about what differentiation is and what it is not. I also discuss the similarities and differences between...

Word problems are one of the most challenging parts of math. Not only do students struggle with word problems, but a lot of teachers struggle to teach them. The biggest challenge that students have with word problems is not knowing what the question is asking, and therefore not knowing which operation to choose. Students often skim the questions, looking at the numbers and key words only, but this can take away from the meaning of the story and lead to mistakes. So how do we help students...

Place value skills are essential in helping students build a strong number sense. These skills help students form relationships with numbers and make sense of their answers. But why do so many students struggle with place value?  There are a few factors that might contribute to this. Since place value is taught at the beginning of the year, students are still getting used to a new classroom and a new teacher. Plus, they are on information overload from everything else they are learning with...

If you’ve ever given your students a survey on their preferred learning styles, then you know firsthand the kind of results you will get. They will be all over the place. Some students prefer working with a partner, while others prefer working alone. Some students require more challenging work to keep them engaged, and others do better when things are more basic. Some students enjoy activities that bring out their creative side, and others are more logical/mathematical and enjoy solving...

The first few weeks of school are the most important weeks of the year. This is your time to establish routines, review important procedures, and set clear expectations for students. The most challenging part is trying to balance these back to school procedures with teaching new content and getting to know your students. Because there is so much to cover, it’s tempting to skip over or rush through certain areas. This is a common mistake teachers make and one you want to avoid. In this...

One of the most common topics being discussed in Facebook groups is how to stay organized when teaching in a departmentalized setting. How do you keep track of graded papers and missing assignments? How do you manage and share supplies between multiple classes? These are questions you must consider before heading into the new school year. Of course, there are a few perks to being departmentalized. Because you have fewer subjects to teach, planning is much easier. But there are also some...

Substitute teachers are hard to come by these days. When you find a good one, you want to do everything you can to make sure they return in the future. One bad experience might scare even the best of subs away! The truth is, your sub plans are the key factor in determining how their day will unfold. So, what should you include in your sub plans, and what is okay to leave out?  Having written my fair share of sub plans over the years, I thought I knew the answer to this question. My plans...

Ready or not, back-to-school season is officially here! This means your Meet the Teacher Night is just around the corner. You only have a limited time with parents, and you want to cover as much information as possible. However, it can be challenging to decide what to include and what to save for later, especially if you are starting from scratch. In this episode, I share 6 suggestions for what to include and how to handle the information you don't have time for. By the end of this episode,...

Do you want to save time and learn how to plan more efficiently? In this episode, I share 5 tips to help you cut down on the time you spend planning your lessons while still building engaging and effective lessons. I start by sharing a lesson plan framework that helps guide my planning and ensures my lessons have what they need. I also share suggestions for each part of your lesson, tips for making future planning a breeze, and how to make the most of your team planning session. To view the...

Do you ever feel like you've lost control of your classroom? In this episode, I share how I struggled early in my career with classroom management. I was putting so much time and energy into my lessons only to be met with frequent disruptions and unwanted behaviors, which made me feel unappreciated and undervalued. I wanted my students to understand that if they continued to act this way, things on my end would change. I explain how an activity called Classroom A vs. Classroom B helped me...

Elementary Math Chat is a podcast for upper elementary math teachers looking for ideas and resources beyond the book. Tune in each week to hear recommendations for planning your math lessons, differentiating math centers, classroom management, and so much more. From the first day of school until the last, this podcast will provide you with teacher-tested and student-approved ideas that work! Annamarie Krejci (kret-see) is a former 4th and 5th grade math teacher of 20 years and the face...