In a recent conversation, dynamic math instructional coach, Chrystena Talamantez, shared the overwhelmingly positive response her teachers had to additional support in guided, small-group work with students at the Teacher Time Station. Since having this station was the primary reason why I created the Tabor Rotation Framework, I asked Chrystena to share her personal testimony to the extreme value of Teacher-Guided Math Instruction/Teacher Time.…
“Teaching is a calling, too. And, I’ve always thought that teachers, in their way, are holy- angels leading their flocks out of the darkness.” -Jeannette Walls, Half Broken Horses
In September of 2013, I began to work with a team of teachers who were looking for a way to provide better math instruction to their students.…
“Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen.” -Pete Carroll, Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks
Since she has done an absolutely AMAZING job of supporting the teachers at Carter Academy in Aldine ISD, AND they have had amazing results, I posed this question to skills specialist Amanda Rodriguez.…
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or to accept the responsibility for changing them.” -Denis Waitley
The first challenge of differentiated Readiness Groups, based on your students’ level of understanding of skills and concepts, is realizing that all students deserve the opportunity to move further ahead in their depth of understanding.…
How can you increase scores on a state test by teaching financial literacy?
That was one of the questions asked by several teachers who were recently trained in M-Cubed: Meaningful Math Management. This resource is used nationwide to teach accountability and personal financial literacy at the same time.…
Fun isn’t always educational and education isn’t always fun, but when the two come together – it just doesn’t get any better.” -Tom Jackson
“Research consistently shows that the more time students spend involved in learning activities, the more they learn. That is, there is a strong positive relationship between the amount of time students are actively engaged in learning activities and their achievement.…
“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” -Dorothy Parker
One of the most powerful tools a teacher has available is objective observation. In a differentiated math classroom, especially one that makes use of math stations, observation is essential. I was reminded of this in a conversation with an administrator who had hired me to assist her school in the sophisticating the ways in which they instruct mathematics.…
Maria Montessori says, “We cannot create observers by saying “observe,” but by giving them the power and the means for this observation.” I cannot agree more and that is why Clipboard Cruising is one of the 14 Essential Elements of the Tabor Rotation Framework. Clipboard Cruising, or constant and consistent teacher observation is complimented by two other Essential Elements of Tabor Rotation, Exit Questions and Math Journal Writing.…
Yesterday’s blog gave the first half of tips and “aha” moments from participants in Tabor Rotation Training of Trainers Institutes. Here’s the second half. may they encourage you to try using small-group, differentiated instruction in your school.
Tip #16: Every learner ‘s brain craves moving from the concrete to the pictorial to the abstract.…
The following tips and “aha” moments came from participants in Tabor Rotation Training of Trainers Institutes. They allowed me to share them with you in hopes that they might ignite your fire for sophisticating the use of guided math groups, math stations, and differentiated instruction in math using The Tabor Rotation Framework.…
