Getting Started...

I ended last school year with this message.  School has started up again and I am remembering this message from a student.  Not because I want kudos for what I do but because it reminds me that I am here to help my students be successful.  

At the beginning of the year I don't have groups started.  I am busy assessing and analyzing that data in order to form groups where students can be successful.  I like this time because I get to work with each student in the school during a 1 on 1 interview type math assessment.  This somewhat short encounter actually really helps me see into their mathematical thinking.  I can then look at the assessment and really see where their gaps and strengths are.  

This year I am trying something new.  I am going to go into classes during math time before the groups start so I can see all of the students in the classroom, hear the language, and get a sense on how they are processing the concepts introduced and practiced.  I have done something like this similar in the past but am really looking forward to working with all of the students.  It amazes me how students learn so differently. 

It gets a little busy going to each class across five grades but the information I gain from the observations is so beneficial.  So, off I go...