Clip 2/11: Adding and Subtracting with Money Lesson Part 1A

I love bringing creativity into a classroom. It might even be me calling something not an assignment but a “mission” or “I have a problem. I need you to help me solve.” I'm kind of bringing that real life into it. I feel that if I'm excited then they get excited; if I think something's going to be boring, then I surely know that the students will think it is boring. I always have that in the back of my mind, like what creative spin can I put on this? It's not like something extra that I'm doing. It might be that I tell a story really quick, to kind of set the stage for that excitement piece in there. In the warmup, for example, I noticed that there were a lot of kids who didn't follow the rule that you can only use one number one time, and it's like, whatever, like, you know, just go with the flow.

I like coaching the students while they're working on the carpet. Just because they're on the carpet,  doesn't mean that I can't get down and sit next to them and work through a problem with them or really listen in on what they're saying. That's the time that they're really working through that teaching point that you're trying to make. Sometimes a misconception that one group is having, another group is also having, and then that gives you the opportunity to do like a micro intervention with them. Or if it's something the whole class is missing, then you need to redirect your teaching point that you're trying to make.