Building Self-Confidence Through Math

Teacher and Student

Math often gets a bad wrap as a difficult subject where only smart students  can fully understand and excel at. Math plays a profound role in shaping early self-confidence of elementary students as learners. Working with numbers, solving problems, and even being able to calculate quickly can either bolster or destroy a child’s belief in […]

Math Activities for the First Week of School

First Week of School Activities

The first few weeks of school are so important. Starting out with great math activities for the first week of school is critical. Like my dad once told me, “Start as you mean to go on”. Simply put, start strong, and continue strong. That goes for everything. Start with high expectations, start with engaging lessons […]

How To Teach Fluency in Ten Minutes a Day

Student at desk

Penny Andrews Yes, you can teach fluency in ten minutes a day. Fluency is such a big part of a student’s math learning journey that you may be tempted to spend many class periods a week working on fluency with students. I want to show you how consistently spending ten minutes a day is a […]

4 Activities to Build a Math Playground

Students playing on a playground

Join me to explore 4 activities to build a math playground. When you ask a student what their favorite subject is, chances are they will answer “Recess!” When you think about it, recess equates to freedom for many students. It is a chance to play, to break free from inactivity, to possibly escape something they […]

Math For Fun

Student with Hands in Air

Students are so excited at the beginning of the year that it is a great time to leverage that excitement and make math engaging and memorable. I remember something my dad always said to us, “Start as you mean to go on”. Nothing is more true than starting a fresh, new school year with the […]

The Magic Problem

Classroom

Want to impress your students, get their rapt attention, make them want to ask “How did you do that?” in disbelief? Well, it may be time to break out “The Magic Problem”. I have used this problem over the years to get students hooked on math, to give students something they want to take home […]