I began writing this blog post after receiving an email from a teacher who wanted a copy of several of the games I used during a demonstration lesson involving fractional concepts. Not wanting to just give her “fish” I thought about how to give her more.…
“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.…
“Do you use IPads in the Technology/Application Station of Tabor Rotation?”
“What apps do you recommend?”
“Could I write a grant to get more technology in my classroom?”
These questions are frequently asked by Tabor Rotation teachers in math and science, since one of the Tabor Rotation Stations is the Technology/Application Station.…
“There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for. And questions are the breath of life for a conversation.” -James Nathan Miller
“You were the first person to stop talking at me and give me something I could move in Algebra.…
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.…
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw
The Texas drought may have dried up our pond, but it offered our two youngest children the opportunity to play in the biggest mud puddle they’d ever seen.…
“I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.” -Linus
Out of all of the Peanuts comic strips and television specials, this one is my favorite. As a child I thought that waiting for the Great Pumpkin was much more fun than waiting for Santa Claus.…
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment to improve the world.” -Anne Frank
Many secondary teachers are fine-tuning the use of small-group instruction in their classrooms. The email below is an incredible exchange with great information. Hope it helps some of you, too.…
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.” -Colin Powell
Building conceptual understanding for math can be done through almost anything. I’ve witnessed the most powerful understanding of fractions by cooking with my children. When we double or half the recipe it develops fractional understanding at the middle school level.…
Go ahead and read the title of this blog again. I’ve been thinking about it for almost 24 hours. It’s what my 4th grader told me last night after dinner. He and his sisters were allowed to choose anything they wanted for dinner. They chose a famous chef’s ravioli concoctions.…
