This week’s chapter is about building up your Guided Math time using a workshop approach. In my classroom I did a lot of workstations with my students to build on concepts that I had covered in our lessons. I can say from personal experience that having a Math Workshop time is important at any grade level.
Taking time to figure out your organization before you implement Math Workstations is important. For me it was all about keeping things SIMPLE and also consistent. I wanted my students to be aware of what they were looking for each and every time we went into workstations so having them in the same type of organized manner was important.
Boxes like these were what made my life so much easier to work with. I grabbed these from Garden Ridge but you can also find them on Amazon. I didn’t get them in the container like is shown but I can see the benefit of doing it either way.
I’ve rounded up some other teachers who have written about their organization styles and you can check out their links below.
Jeanette Cordova (Pinterest Board)
Down Under Teacher (Blog Post)
Dandelions and Dragonflies (Blog Post)
When looking around don’t be scared off by a teacher that teaches a different grade and what tips they have to offer. You have to find something that works for you and that you will keep up with.
Implementing Math Workstations in your classroom can help not only promote student achievement but also can keep students on track with their learning. By dividing a skill or concept into more manageable activities for students to focus on then they can demonstrate mastery but also move through the different stages of learning and levels of thinking.
Workstations are also an easy way to differentiate for your students. Differentiation is more than just modifying or accommodating for your Special Education students but also adapting for those that learn in different methods. Granted we all must assess in the same manner but allowing students to learn based on what works best from them will help them in the long run.
Looking to get your workstations started off right? Join in on this weeks giveaway for some great items including a $25 Credit to MY Teachers Pay Teachers Store.
