October 16, 2013
Principal’s Message
Morning Math
You may have heard your child or a staff member use the term morning math in conversation. This has been a new initiative our classroom teachers have implemented this year. It takes place first thing in the morning (thus the cleverly named morning math) for all students K through 5. Our goal is to meet the needs of our students through small group instruction, independent, or partnered work.
You may have heard your child or a staff member use the term morning math in conversation. This has been a new initiative our classroom teachers have implemented this year. It takes place first thing in the morning (thus the cleverly named morning math) for all students K through 5. Our goal is to meet the needs of our students through small group instruction, independent, or partnered work.
Each day,
during a regular math lesson, students are taught specific concepts. After the lesson, some students have an
understanding of the concept while others may need more time or
assistance. Our morning math time
addresses the needs of all learners. For
those students who may need more time or assistance, they might be working in a
small group with the teacher, or practicing the concept on an app using an
iPad. For those students that already
understand the concept, they may need to have their learning extended in a
small group with the teacher, or work on creating projects with a group that
deepens their understanding. These are
just a few examples of strategies our teachers are using.
With our
morning math approach, we are trying to meet the needs of all our learners by
adding time and assistance. This differentiated learning is providing students
different avenues for making sense of the content, making the learning
personal. Last Friday, our teachers had
the opportunity to share what they are doing in the classroom to reach each
student, fostering a climate for collaboration among our staff. We saw and heard wonderful ideas that all our
grade levels are implementing. We will
continue to move forward with this initiative throughout the year, improving on
an already established framework for learning.
Our students have done a wonderful job adapting to the change in
procedure, and we’ll continue to look for ways to guide our students to grow as
learners.
Scott McFarland
