Uncategorized Tomás and the Jellybeans: Increasing Access 5 Nov 2024 How do we support students who are struggling to access grade level content? In my own school, I focus my efforts on co-teaching and coaching, but I also see students…
education… “Yes! And!” 10 Oct 202413 Oct 2024 “Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your…
five practices… “Look! I showed my work!” 8 Sep 20218 Sep 2021 It's surreal to be back at my school, in person, after 18 months away. I feel a tremendous sense of vertigo when I look around at this place that is…
curriculum… Reducing Bias with Desmos Dashboard 17 Aug 202123 Oct 2024 When I am teaching in person, I circulate around the room. When I first started teaching, I would circulate in similar patterns, winding my way through the desks and rows…
education… How Much Is Enough: Using Student Feedback to Reflect on Practice 28 Jun 202112 Jul 2021 Do students need to finish every problem? When I have asked this of colleagues, everyone has responding with a resounding no! Definitely not!Not every student needs that much practice.It's okay…
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…
in the classroom… Notice, Feel, Wonder, and Act: How Can Data Inspire Us to Help? 7 Dec 20203 Apr 2021 "Is this another sad graph?" Serafina wrote to me in the zoom chat. We had just started our Slow Reveal Graph routine. At this point, students could only see a…
education… Using Videos to Reflect on Practice, Student Identity, and Agency 29 Nov 20203 Apr 2021 I hate watching myself on video. I squirm. I flinch. I last, I don't know, a maximum of 9 seconds...? And now I have to teach in an environment where…
education… Using Screenshots & Photos to Reflect on Practice 28 Nov 20203 Apr 2021 Back in the Before Times, I took hundreds of photos of student work. "What do you do with all of those photos?" students would ask. I am a student of…
education… How Are Students Representing Their Ideas During Remote Learning? 27 Nov 20203 Apr 2021 I come from the Marilyn Burns School of Student Work Samples -- which is to say I prize student work that fills a large, blank page. (#TeamBlankSpace) Marilyn Burns, one…
games… Johnny Upgrade 29 Sep 20203 Apr 2021 If you've never played Johnny Upgrade before, you should know that it begins with music. Epic music. Like anthemic, sweeping, about to vanquish the villain at the 11th hour music.…
five practices… Which Shape Covers More: Orchestrating a Sixth Grade Math Debate 27 Sep 202022 Jun 2021 First, we must mourn for the loss of the Way We Used to Teach. I love my work. If I let you scroll through the photos on my phone, you'd…
games One of Favorite Games: The Skip Count Game 30 May 20198 Feb 2023 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 Answer Is... I've played the…
games… One of My Favorite Games: Number Boxes 29 May 20193 Feb 2023 This game is part of my "simple but high leverage" collection of games that are flexible, engaging, and easy to prep. Others include The Answer Is... and the Skip Count Game. I…
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…
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 --…
curriculum Coherence and Telling the Story 6 Sep 201719 Sep 2017 The more I teach, the more I realize the importance of coherence. Beyond serving as a guiding principle of the common core, coherence shines a light on the pathway towards…
formative assessment… “Which is Greener?”: Connecting Fractions, Percents, and Ratios in Sixth Grade 16 Jun 201719 Sep 2017 Math should tell a story -- through the structure of units, and the structure of a year. There is no singular correct narrative; instead, I find joy in weaving different…
in the classroom Inaba’s Place Value Puzzles: Making Connections and Asking “What If” 21 Feb 201713 Feb 2019 Last week, my sixth graders helped me make connections between a puzzle I used in third grade and their current work with place value, specifically multiplying and dividing by powers of…
formative assessment… The Intersection of Fraction Talks & Clothesline Math: Formative Assessment and the Five Practices 8 Feb 201722 Jun 2021 My sixth graders are weary of pre-assessments. No matter how many times we discuss the goal of a pre-assessment – for me to learn more about their current strategies and…
Jenna Laib 