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Jenna Laib

Jenna Laib

The Blog of a K-8 Math Specialist

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Tag: centering students ideas

curriculum…

Estimating Products and Co-Planning in Grade 4

30 Jun 2024
How do we get students to make sense -- make genuine sense -- of numerical operations? In a Grade 4 Classroom One of the fourth grade teachers invited me into…
curriculum…

Turtle Time Trials & Leveraging Creativity To Deepen Mathematical Understanding

13 Nov 202212 Nov 2022
What if...? In a lot of tasks that we give students, there's an intended answer. Okay, sure, yes, I guess you could interpret the problem in this divergent way, but…
formative assessment…

Secret Squares and Stop Signs

28 Jun 2022
I wrote a deeply sad post today. As I went to publish it, I hesitated. Yesterday was my last day of school, and instead of ending with sadness, I'd like…
curriculum…

Changing How I “Mathematize Children’s Literature”

26 Apr 202227 Apr 2022
I enjoy teaching math through children's literature. Typically, I'll read the book aloud to a class, stopping briefly when inspired to ask a question or a student raises their hand.…
formative assessment…

What Will Help Plan for Tomorrow?

31 Mar 2022
What do I need to know about student thinking today before I teach tomorrow? Towards the end of a math lesson, this refrain plays in my head. ______ In third…
five practices…

Stenhouse Blog Post: Using Student Work as an Anchor for Mathematical Discourse (Something to Talk About)

11 Jan 20221 Jan 2022
This blog post was published on the blog for Stenhouse Publishing, as part of a series on classroom discourse. You can read the complete post on the Stenhouse website. While…
assessment…

Clinical Interviews in the Virtual Space (Using Flipgrid)

2 Apr 20212 Apr 2021
One of my favorite things to do as a math specialist is clinical interviews. During a clinical interview, I sit down with a student -- one-on-one -- and ask questions…
education…

Back to School PD: Sharing Participant Thinking

12 Sep 202011 Sep 2020
Last week, I facilitated a few PD sessions for elementary teachers in my district. There were some predictable -- and wildly unpredictable! -- tech hiccups. I stumbled over some words.…
curriculum…

Problem Based Lesson #3: Learning From One Another in Grade 4

9 Jan 202026 Jun 2020
This is a post in a series about problem based instruction in fourth grade -- centering on a series of lessons classroom teacher Claire* and I taught about symmetry. This…
education…

Problem Based Lesson #2: Making Connections with Symmetry in Grade 4

8 Jan 20205 Feb 2022
This is a post in a series about problem based instruction in fourth grade -- centering on a series of lessons classroom teacher Claire* and I taught about symmetry. This…

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Upcoming Conference Presentations & Workshops

December 2025 & January 2026
EDC (Waltham, MA)
“Data Routines: Slow Reveal Graphs”

January 15, 2026
Math Coach Virtual Learning Network (virtual)

February 4, 2026
TERC’s Forum for Equity in Elementary Mathematics (free virtual webinar)
“Using Insights about Student Thinking to Shape Classroom Experiences”

SEE OTHER RECENT & UPCOMING EXPERIENCES…

Recent Posts

  • Culture & Identity in the Math Classroom 22 Nov 2025
  • Inputs and Outputs 20 Oct 2025
  • Anderson’s Endless Zeroes 12 Apr 2025
  • How Many Nivelsnorts: Assessing Silly Story Problems 7 Nov 2024
  • Tomás and the Jellybeans: Increasing Access 5 Nov 2024
  • Why Do I Love This Student Work: Examining Context & Bias 22 Oct 2024
  • “Yes! And!” 10 Oct 2024
  • For Our Math Education Community 29 Sep 2024
  • The Love Graph 17 Jul 2024
  • Estimating Products and Co-Planning in Grade 4 30 Jun 2024

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Tags

#tmwyk access centering students ideas child study clinical interview desmos division education equity five practices formative assessment fractions games geometry grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4 grade 5 grade 6 grade 7 grade 8 illustrative mathematics intervention investigations Investigations (Inv3) kindergarten listening making connections mtbos multiplication problem-based instruction problem-based learning productive discussions race remote learning slow reveal graphs student thinking student work writing
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