Understanding fractions can be quite difficult for some of our kids. Number lines have always been effective tools to teach different operations like addition, subtraction, and multiplication. These trusty lines also come in handy when…

A couple of years ago, I started using digital/paperless Number Talks during my guided math block. The results from this simple, powerful teaching practice blew me away. They instantly became the perfect math warm-up…

As a middle grades math teacher, you probably struggle daily with students who cannot grasp what you are teaching because they have still not mastered the basic skills that provide the foundation for the new material you are attempting to deliver…

Last year, I wrote several posts on the blog about preparing for standardized testing. You can find them here, here, and here. Did your blood pressure rise when you read the words “standardized testing”? This year, I wanted to give you a peek inside my middle school math test prep unit…

I’d like to talk about my favorite time of the day (okay, it’s tied with word study rotations and play centers, but those are for another time). Our 30-minute block of math rotations has allowed me to become a stronger math teacher and my students to become more confident mathematicians. How could 30 minutes be so impactful…