It was a short summer compounded by the fact that it never really happened here in Calgary; we went from spring straight into fall and now we're doing a back step into a summery autumn. I don't mind because we're experiencing the most spectacular fall I've seen in a long time. The leaves are turning all shades of yellow, orange, and red. It's beautiful. And, in the midst of such beauty I am searching for a routine with my students. I am particularly focusing on constructing a math workshop with clear and efficient procedures and routines that allow me to be more effective at teaching math in Spanish to monolingual English speakers at the same time that I support my students' nascent math understandings. I think I've almost got it. To help me sort this out, I am reading Guided Math by Laney Sammons which has given me new ideas and a fresh look at math workshop and small group instruction. I have developed a math menu and will be testing it out with ...
This blog is a place to ruminate on the problems of teaching. If I am thinking thoughtfully, my posts will hopefully raise more questions than answers. By problematizing teaching we reflect on those questions that are constantly behind, in front, and at center of everything we do in the classroom. Feel free to comment. I'd love to hear what other teachers are thinking about on these and other issues. Cheers! Elisa