Have you ever heard of Daily Math Routine? In my current Teacher Assisting placement, we conduct the Daily Math Routine on a (as the name implies) daily basis. Are you familiar with this routine? If not...stop and watch the video below to watch a second grade class conduct this routine. Math Expressions, the program used within my Teacher Assisting placement, has created this routine. As you saw, the Daily Math Routine is broken down into five different elements all of which give students insight to number sense. At the beginning of the year, twenty-two second grade students arrived. With a class of six, seven, and eight year olds, the beginning of the year was spent setting expectations, building routines, and creating a classroom community. Daily Math Routine is one of these routines. Now, over three months into the semester, the students still engage in this ten to fifteen minute routine on a daily basis. The question to consider: Is it worth it? The answer this, let's break this routine down to the five different "segments:" 120 chart, finger flashes, money chart, number path cards, and secret code cards. As students conduct these routines, they are expected to grow more and more familiar with the way in which they visualize numbers. a card. As you can see, the three number options a student can draw is a 5, 6, or 7. After the card is chosen, Sue asks the class, "What is my new number?" The class responds, in which case, she asks the follow-up question, "Will I make a new ten?" Circles are made, equations are written, and a new number is deemed. A new student then leads the class through the money flip chart. Ben, a pseudonym, will ask similar questions like, "What is my number?," "Will I make a new ten?" and "What is my new number?" As you can see in the far left image above, the visuals shown are represented in money form, exposing students to a new way of thinking about numbers (in the form of cents and dollars). Javier, another pseudonym, then leads the student through the secret code cards (pictured in the center). He simply will de-construct and re-construct the new number. For example, if the new number is "124," Javier would say "124 = 100 + 20 + 4 = 124" using the code cards as a visual. Hannah (you guess it...a pseudonym) runs the class through the number path cards, each student has their own number path card at their desk. As you can see pictured on the far right, an equation is written and the new number is shown using base ten blocks. Again, students are exposed to a variety of number senses through this Daily Math Routine. Finally (and not pictured), David, a pseudonym, leads the class in the final finger flashes. If you watched the video at the beginning of this blog, you saw students counting by hundreds, tens, and ones to get to the new number for the day. Above, I broke down the Daily Math Routine. It sounds pretty awesome because it is student led and exposes students to so many different ways to represent numbers. The Daily Math Routine is very differentiated in its instruction and connects with many types of learners. However, after seeing this routine performed day after day in a second grade classroom, I am wondering if it is really worth it.
In my own placement, the students seem to struggle to remember what their job is at the different station. They are often looking for my help or my cooperating teacher's help to guide them through their specific job. Also, because this is a "routine," it is hard to see if the students are really understanding the concepts within the routine or just saying based on the rote questions and answers. What do you think? Do you think this routine is helpful in a second grade classroom? Do you think it forces students to think about numbers differently? There clearly are many pros, but also several cons. If you were the teacher, would you continue to cut fifteen minutes out of your day to complete this routine?
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College. Four and a half years of my life (up to this point). Hundreds of credit hours. A variety of classes. Thousands of assignments. A burden of dollars. Lots of tears (out of every emotion: sadness, anger, joy ect.). Have I ever wondered why? Absolutely! Have I ever questioned why I return ever semester? Of Course? But, yet, I still do. I still work hard in my classes to earn respectable grades. I still sacrifice time with friends and family so that I can finish up a big project. I still stay up later than I care to admit, loosing precious hours of sleep. I still push through, even when my "to-do" list is never-ending and I am fried in every dimension (mentally, physically, emotionally). I still work exhausting hours so that I can fund my education. Have I wanted to quite? Throw in the towel? Give up? You bet...but I don't. I can't. I need to be a teacher. be fearless in the pursuit that sets your soul on fire Let's take a moment to remind back to when I was a little girl growing up. Being the youngest of four big brothers (yes, I am the only girl), I grew up playing up playing "war," digging trenches, building rafts, and participating in backyard football and ice hockey. Barbies were replaced with G.I. Joes. Disney movie were exchanged for Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.
fully understood at that young age, but this was the spark that ignited a passion that has me where I am today. Fast forward a couple years, several grade levels and we have sixth grade Abby and the amazing (I didn't realize it) subject of math. My education was in a little different situation...something called homeschool, normally not a problem, except I was a horrible (and I mean horrible with a capital "H") students. Don't believe me? Well, what if I told you I didn't do my math homework for a solid month. Yup! My mom taught me a lesson every day, assigned homework, but I didn't do it. Well, you know as good as the next reader that math builds on itself. I will never forget the day when my mom went to teach me a new lesson. For some reason (maybe because I haven't done my math homework) I was just not understanding the concept. In response, my mom asked me to grab my homework notebook. You can imagine my shame as she flipped through the empty pages of homework. I got it such big trouble and as a consequence, had to complete every skipped assignment. As I worked day after day to get caught up, I found myself actually enjoying the math problems. Yes, I was having fun...the content made sense so there was satisfaction in completing my homework (imagine that). This was when I caught hold of another passion. One that resulted in me bringing my math
Which brings me back to where I am today...a "Super" senior by status but none-the-less pursuing my great passion. As this semester has progressed, the "why" has only grown as I have experienced real world classroom life in my Teacher Assisting placement. There is nothing that warms my heart more than teaching these second grade students, especially when they have that all-too-familiar lightbulb moment in math when they understand, the isle when they see math really isn't such a horrific subject.
This is why I keep coming back. This is why I push through. This is why I am fearless... because my heart is set on fire when I am in a classroom teacher math. |
AuthorMy name is Abby Niemiec and I am in the midst of my final year as a undergraduate student at Grand Valley State University. I am a double major in Mathematics and Education, with my minor focusing on Elementary Education. Within this blog, I will be sharing mathematical ideas, perspectives, thoughts and much more! Stay tuned...and enjoy the read! Archives
December 2017
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