This may not be the end of a school year, but teachers are still evaluating the end of the calendar year, making new goals, and sometimes hoping for a new kind of year. Okay, maybe all people are hoping for a new kind of year in 2021.
With that being said, this week we are going to chat about three things to help the new year start smoothly-teacher style. Having time off for the holidays is a great way to have a break from teaching and go back refreshed with new energy. Going back to teaching in January is also a great time to use fresh resources for your students.
New Year Goals #1: The Plan
First, you must have a plan. Hopefully, you have your lesson plans ready to go. All lessons for young children should help them acquire fundamental concepts. Remember, you can adapt digital resources for face-to-face or virtual learning. Your lesson plans should address the diverse learning styles of your students. Don’t forget to meet those standards!
If your school is still doing virtual learning, make part of your planning to include prompts for talking through math assignments with your students. Research is showing that children are losing interest during online math learning. Also, make sure engagement is happening on your side as well. Address each student by name to ensure they are participating and attaining the knowledge.
New Year Goals #2: Great Resources
Next, have the right resources. Math lessons should be short and manageable to help teach valuable skills. Young children need lessons that are fun while also keeping them actively engaged. Teachers can have students use small whiteboards and dry erase markers to help with engagement during class time. These can also be used during group work. This can be difficult with virtual learning when teachers and students are not in the same room.
Whiteboards, with a twist, can be adapted to work with virtual learning. Teachers can use a Google Slide with editable squares to represent individual whiteboards for their students. This way, all students can easily see each other’s work. Teachers must find ways to be creative for students to learn math while in the home setting. Traditionally, reading is a common subject that families, students, and teachers are used to having learning extended from the classroom to the home. Math has been a whole new ballgame to adapt to home learning.
Digital Math Resources with Clear Learning Goals
Check out any digital resource site, and math digital resources for all subject matter can be found. Choosing the right resource for your learning objectives is the key. Double check whether it meets your state standards. Look for fun characters and bright colors to keep young students engaged. Take for example, one of my top selling resources.
This Google Slides digital math resource attracts young students with vibrant colors. It meets Common Core aligned learning goals. Teachers can use the example pages to ensure that their students understand how to use the task cards. You can find additional information on how this resource works here.
Look for digital math resources that include a good amount of task cards to keep young students from growing bored. This 2nd grade “Addition with Arrays” digital math resource includes 65 learning task cards. This resource can be used for many lessons. Look for digital resources with moveable pieces and editable text boxes. Take a peek here at what this looks like on this digital math resource. Read the last slide to see how easy it is to use in Google Classroom. Easy to use is also a good characteristic to look for when choosing digital math resources.
Educational professionals agree though that digital resources should not be the only way that teachers teach math virtually. Too many digital resources can prioritize learning concepts that teachers and schools feel are the most important to learn. In later grades, teachers assume that students have learned certain concepts and skills to build upon with new learning. If this school year mainly focuses on those “must have” concepts, students will fall behind in future school years. Find ways to use digital math resources to complement your teaching on all concepts and skills that need to be acquired this school year.
Let’s Go Back to the Whiteboard.
It can also come in handy for the last strategy towards a smooth beginning to the new year; how to assess students. Start the new year by evaluating how you assess and observe your students. Teachers can assess students’ understanding through verbal prompts, engagement, and digital applications. This is essential for monitoring if students are attaining their learning goals, especially with virtual learning.
New Year Goals #3: Make Families a Priority
Finally, use your families to help your students acquire math concepts and skills. Remember when I mentioned that learning math at home is a new thing? Well, here is a way to help with that. Ask families to practice math skills with their students. For young students, see if you can supply families with math manipulatives. This will help families engage in math learning with their children. This can also be especially helpful with families who do not quite understand how digital resources and applications work.
Then, keep lines of communication open. Families can provide great insight into their child’s learning. Have a consistent way for them to contact you and most importantly, be approachable and accessible. Families will reach out for help for their child if they know exactly what their child should be learning and how to tell if they are struggling.
Whew, that was a lot for a holiday week. But, it’s important to think about these things before you return to teaching. I hope these tips helped. Leave a comment below and let me know what you are finding difficult during this strange teaching year. I would love to address your problems in future posts!
Still Time to Grab Your Holiday Gift From Me to You
Until December 31st, purchase any product from the shop and receive a second license for free. Gift one to a friend or fellow teacher. These math digital resources are also great for homeschoolers.
Thanks for Visiting and Happy Holidays!
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Talk to you next week!
Jess @ Savvy Apple