I've been teaching for seven years and each year I try to add something new to my classroom routine. It's important to try new things, right? I love teaching my students new things, but I have such a hard time keeping the routine. I get excited with new ideas and projects I want to try and I find it hard to have the patience to give my students the time they need to finish the project. I'm getting off track...
JOURNALS! Journals are a wonderful way to organize all the projects, assignments, mini-lessons, games and everything else we do together. I've developed a 15 page printable to help my students organize their learning. It includes many different templates and is open ended to accommodate the wide variety of learners you have in your classroom.
This document is available on my TPT store Megan's Creative Classroom. I'm going to give a bunch of ways to use the pages in your classroom to supplement your math lessons. There are so many ways to use the pages. It's so versatile! And once you model how to complete the pages, students know what to do and can work independently. Your math lessons become a well-oiled machine!
These pages are a wonderful assessment tool as well. Formative assessment is so important to guide your teaching and having students break down what they learned and getting them to put into words and explain the games is a wonderful form of assessment.
Math Game Template:
We play games in our room. A LOT! My students love to play games. When I teach them a new game they're focused, they interact with their classmates in a positive way, they think critically and they learn new math skills. It's a winning situation all around! The most important part of any successful math game lesson is to document the learning.
I start by teaching students how to fill out the template by completing the first few as a class. We discuss what to write and then write it out together. The kids have a concrete record of the rules of the game and their experience. And come Celebration of Learning the kids have something to show their parents. Games are great, but having something tangible to demonstrate their learning is even better!
While my students are filling out the template, I usually grab a few kids and fill it out with them. I ask them questions about their learning and what math skills they were using. Fast and easy. Perfect for busy teachers!
Problem Solving Template:
We do problem solving in a few different ways in our room.
JOURNALS! Journals are a wonderful way to organize all the projects, assignments, mini-lessons, games and everything else we do together. I've developed a 15 page printable to help my students organize their learning. It includes many different templates and is open ended to accommodate the wide variety of learners you have in your classroom.
This document is available on my TPT store Megan's Creative Classroom. I'm going to give a bunch of ways to use the pages in your classroom to supplement your math lessons. There are so many ways to use the pages. It's so versatile! And once you model how to complete the pages, students know what to do and can work independently. Your math lessons become a well-oiled machine!
These pages are a wonderful assessment tool as well. Formative assessment is so important to guide your teaching and having students break down what they learned and getting them to put into words and explain the games is a wonderful form of assessment.
Math Game Template:
We play games in our room. A LOT! My students love to play games. When I teach them a new game they're focused, they interact with their classmates in a positive way, they think critically and they learn new math skills. It's a winning situation all around! The most important part of any successful math game lesson is to document the learning.
I start by teaching students how to fill out the template by completing the first few as a class. We discuss what to write and then write it out together. The kids have a concrete record of the rules of the game and their experience. And come Celebration of Learning the kids have something to show their parents. Games are great, but having something tangible to demonstrate their learning is even better!
While my students are filling out the template, I usually grab a few kids and fill it out with them. I ask them questions about their learning and what math skills they were using. Fast and easy. Perfect for busy teachers!
Problem Solving Template:
We do problem solving in a few different ways in our room.
- POW (a problem of the week) that students take home and solve with their parents
- Mathological Liar (an AMAZING game I found at Scholar's Choice): a game where students read several accounts from witnesses to a math-related crime and use various math skills to find out who is lying, and therefore is the culprit. It's so much fun!!! Buy it here.
- Daily Problem: short problems, differentiated and colour coded by skill, that students complete when they come in after recess. It's the first thing they do. They glue the problem in their scribbler and solve the problem. Once they've completed it they do as many as they can (checking their answers with me or a friend when they're done) for the first 10 minutes or so of class.
I don't always get my students to complete this detailed template. Often we work on whiteboards, write and wipe pockets, as a large group (with the support of the whiteboard or smart board), or simply free styled in their scribblers. But having them complete a template like this one is such a great way to help them organize their information and makes it so much easier to assess. I've even noticed that students copy out the organizer in their scribblers to help them solve the problems!
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| Daily Problem Tins - Colour coded by skill level and new every day! |
Sticky Notes Template:
Do you use sticky notes in your classroom? I do. Almost every day. I've been putting it on the supply list for years, so my kids bring their own and keep them in their desks. Many teachers say they don't like for kids to have their own because they become "toys". Kids play with them and write notes and they just get fed up. But I love them. I teach my students appropriate use and those who don't follow get them taken away. Pretty classic classroom management stuff, right? And SO worth the reward!
My students LOVE using sticky notes. They get excited to write on them and stick them to something. Many of them have bright colours and different shapes. These variations in colour and style stimulate their senses and contribute to the learning experience.
So, what do I use them for?
- exit slips - answering a question I pose for them based on the lesson, before they leave for recess of course
- sharing opinions about a reading, problem, or lesson
- taking notes while listening to a story or watching a movie
- a quick and easy way to solve a math problem
- sorting ideas, concepts, characters, strategies or anything else really
This template encourages the use of four sticky notes that are all part of one concept. For example, students might answer four problems involving the same concept. Then at the bottom they explain their learning. What skill did they use? How are the problems connected? What characteristics do they notice are common? Making these connections help strengthen their understanding.
When we play Mathological Liar, students read four accounts of a crime and have to prove the math right or wrong. This template is a wonderful tool to help them sort out their ideas. One sticky per suspect. They show their math on each sticky and at the bottom explain their conclusions. Perfect!
This template is also great for research projects. Take each section and designate it to a category or question to research and students use sticky notes organize and record their ideas.
These are just three of the pages available in my Math Journal booklet on Teachers Pay Teachers. The packet includes 15 pages, one being the title page, which is wonderful for a cover page on your students' Math Journals. I've even left a space to write in their names, room number and grade if necessary. This is a versatile booklet that accomodates students of all skill levels and can be used for whatever you're teaching. I hope you like it and I look forward to your feedback on TPT!
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