games One of My Favorite Games: The Answer Is… 28 May 20196 Jun 2019 This game is part of my "simple but high leverage" collection of games that are flexible, engaging, and easy to prep. Others include Number Boxes and the Skip Count Game. I have…
in the classroom The Cookie Recipe: Learning Math from Students 1 Apr 201919 Mar 2024 Fourth grade teacher Alicia and I have a beautiful habit of doing math together when planning. We try out problems, and anticipate ways we think students. (It is rare that…
in the classroom You’re Both Right: Examining and Honoring Mathematical Assumptions 21 Mar 201922 Jun 2021 Even from across the room, there was no mistake: Jacob and Ian were deep into a mathematical debate. Jacob had pulled his chair up to Ian's desk, and they were…
in the classroom The Striped Snake Barbecue Puzzle: Exploring “Challenge” in 3rd Grade 4 Mar 20196 Feb 2022 Who gets to be challenged in class? How does the work we give students impact their status (or how they perceive their status) in the classroom? Meet Calvin You've probably…
curriculum… “Why is the math teacher here for social studies?” 16 Jan 20196 Feb 2022 I slipped quietly into Room 304, trying not to distract the fourth graders, who were finishing up a writing assignment. I set up my laptop to project to the white…
curriculum… #TeamBlankSpace 3 Jan 2019 Every time a child says, 'I don't believe in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan (1904) When a work page is overly rigid…
assessment… Presuming Competence: Using Clinical Interviews to Support Classroom Instruction 13 Nov 201827 Nov 2018 "She's not on an IEP, but she's struggling in class. What should I do?" I don't know the student -- Alejandra, or Ali, for short -- very well, so I arranged…
education The New Kid 16 Oct 201712 Feb 2022 In a nutshell: my district offers a fellowship grant each year for six teachers to spend a (paid) week writing about teaching over the summer. I am never fully certain…
assessment… Anchoring Online Portfolios 10 Oct 201710 Oct 2017 When I was an elementary classroom teacher, my students built elaborate portfolios to document their thinking and progress. As a specialist, I carry components of this into my practice --…
Jenna Laib 