Posts Tagged: Math Content with Small Groups

Math Stations: Big Classes Need “Pair” Bags

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”     -Michael Jordan That’s why teams working together at math stations are a vital component of the Tabor Rotation Framework. Effectively equipping teams for their work is imperative—especially in a math classroom at a math station! When teachers begin to sophisticate their use of students working in math stations in a classroom, many questions arise.…

Questions about Tabor Rotation

Questions, questions, questions…I LOVE them! Why? I love questions from administrators and teachers, because if no one asks a question, then it’s highly unlikely that they will use the information. Tony Robbins says, “Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”…

The Origin of Tabor Rotation

Like any good invention, the Tabor Rotation Framework came out of necessity. A couple of decades ago, I realized that my students needed a better way to learn mathematical concepts. I had almost 40 students in a class, a classroom with no walls, fewer than half of my students on grade level, less than 60 minutes to teach math, and my students would be taking MSPAP (Maryland School Performance Assessment Program). …

Meaningful Math & Meaningful Management!

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.…

Objective Observation

“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.…

Math Apps Students (and their Teachers) LOVE!

“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.…

What can you hear in your room?

“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.…

The Power of Teacher Observation

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.…

Accountability in Small-Group Instruction

“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.…

More Tabor Rotation Trainer Tips

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.…