sutton034

I love fractions!  Today I am linking up with some of the best math bloggers out there to bring you the Fly on the Math Teacher's Wall Blog hop.  Last time, we talked about place value and this time we are talking about squashing fraction misconceptions.  One of the biggest misconceptions I had when I first started teaching is that finding a common denominator is the only way to compare fractions.  Boy was I wrong.  After reading a great teaching book and listening to my students share their invented strategies, my misconception has been cleared up.  Today I am going to share with you 5 different strategies for comparing fractions.   Common Denominators Yes, you can compare fractions with common denominators.  However, this isn't always the most efficient way of doing things and it involves a lot of steps and a lot of calculation which means there is a lot of places where you can make mistakes.  The good news is, it works every single time ...

I like to read.  Yes, I have spent the last 9 years teaching just math but I still love reading.  I may not like teaching reading as much as I like teaching math but to the shock of my students, I do know how to read.  They seriously look at me like I have 2 heads when I make a comment about helping them with a reading assignment.  I read whatever I can get my hands on.  To the shock of many of my colleagues, I read a lot of teaching books.  I read at least 1 teaching book per month and often will be in the middle of 2 or 3 at a time.  I love hearing what other teachers are doing in their classrooms and how they are applying educational research to improve their teaching practices.  I have so enjoyed doing book studies on my blog (like Children's Math and Number Talks ) and love how they get me to slow down and interact with other teachers about what I am reading.  However, there is just no way I can keep up with my own reading doing book st...

Welcome to the conclusion of our Number Talks book study!  After learning about number talks several years ago and implementing them in my classroom, it is great to finally read the book and have some time to reflect on how number talks have changed the way I teach math.  If you missed some of the previous posts, you can catch up on them below.   Posting Schedule Part 1: January 11th Chapters 1 & 2 Part 2: January 18th Chapter 3 Part 3: January 25th Chapter 4 Part 4: February 1st: Chapters 5 & 6 Part 5: February 8th: Chapters 7 & 8 Part 6: February 15th: Chapter 9 Today we will be looking at chapter 9 which wraps up some of the big ideas of number talks. Getting Parents Involved When I started making the transition from a teaching by telling model to a inquiry based constructivist approach, I had many parents balk and struggle to understand this "new math" their kids were learning.  I did a few things to help alleviate their fears but their is cert...

This week I am thinking about all of the things I love!  Next week it will be two years since I started this blog and I have to say I love blogging!  I love talking about what is happening in the classroom and the research I am reading.  I love connecting with wonderful teachers all over the country and I love all the things I have learned on this journey.  Today I am taking a few minutes to say thanks to all my followers and everyone who has been with me on this wild ride.  I am linking up with some of my newest blogger friends to bring you the I {Heart} My Followers Mega Giveaway!  I will be giving away 2 different prize packs containing some of my favorite things and then you can click on the links at the bottom of this post to check out more great giveaways. Teaching With Music I absolutely love teaching with music and some of the most read posts on my blog are from my Teaching Math with You Tube videos series .  I have been using music in my teach...

Welcome to week 5 of our book study on Number Talks .  This is a great book for K-5 classroom teachers, special educators and math specialists.  It is also a great book for administrators and other educational professionals to read to learn more about what good math teaching looks like.   Join me each Sunday as we discuss the week's reading and make connections to our own teaching practice.  Leave a comment on this blog post or head over to Facebook and leave your thoughts there.  If you have your own blog and want to write a post about it on your own blog, just leave the link in the comments section.    Posting Schedule Part 1: January 11th Chapters 1 & 2 Part 2: January 18th Chapter 3 Part 3: January 25th Chapter 4 Part 4: February 1st: Chapters 5 & 6 Part 5: February 8th: Chapters 7 & 8 Part 6: February 15th: Chapter 9 This week we transition from thinking about addition and subtraction to thinking about multiplication and divisio...