7 Ways to Improve Communication in the Math Classroom Do your students need practice with communication skills in math? Sure my kiddos can answer a sheet filled with addition and subtraction questions with the best of them - no problem. However, when the word problems get thrown in, many students start getting stuck. Ask them to explain "How do you regroup?" or "When should you regroup?" ...eish! These are skills they aren't used to doing in math. For a long ... View Post
Useful Websites to Teach Global Communities
The global communities unit is so fun, but also can be overwhelming. Many students haven't left the province, let alone the country. This can make learning about global communities challenging as it is an abstract concept. Without exposure, students can’t easily imagine places different to their own. As a result, I needed to create opportunities for them to experience different communities in an interactive way. With this in mind, I set out to find some websites and interactive ... View Post
Roles and Responsibilities in Grade 1
A perfect way to kick off the year in Grade 1 is with this Social Studies unit. Teaching kids about their new responsibilities as "big kids" in the school is a great way to begin this unit. It is always challenging to help students understand big concepts like 'rights', 'responsibilities' and 'roles', but breaking it down into ideas they can relate to makes it so much easier for them to comprehend. How do I teach Roles and Responsibilities in Grade 1? I've created a detailed and easy ... View Post
Inquiry-Based Learning with Wonderwalls
What is Inquiry Based Learning? If you are not aware of this term, inquiry-based learning focuses on developing a students’ skills in asking good questions, forming thoughtful ideas and analyzing information. With inquiry-based learning, students are given the opportunity to investigate open-ended questions using reasoning and existing knowledge. We know this is great for students and allows them to bring in their own ideas, experiences and interests. It lends itself well to ... View Post
Social Emotional Learning in Math
In 2020, a new expectation was added to the Ontario curriculum: Social Emotional Learning in Math. This topic is so important to develop positive attitudes in learning Math. I have seen countless children arrive in a Math class filled with feelings of anxiety. Sometimes, these feelings come from off-handed comments from parents, siblings or their favourite TV stars who say "Oh I can't do math!". This can create a feeling of math being scary or 'hard' when we know it is ... View Post
Grade 1 Social Studies: Community Helpers Units
Note: This post includes testimonials from a lovely grade 1 teacher who has shared her experiences with me using this unit with her in-person class, as well as my own thoughts, tips and suggestions! xo-Tina Community Helpers are Here For Us! Have your kiddos noticed the news reports about Community Helpers lately? Mine sure have! With Covid struggles happening throughout the world, a large focus is on the people who help keep the community running despite the national ... View Post