Real-Life Math: 2 Simple Strategies for Joyful Math Talk

As the beginning of a new school year quickly approaches, we need to consider how we are going to build a positive math culture in our classrooms. I believe that every math class can be inviting and exciting for our students if we are intentional about creating joyful experiences. One of the key features ofContinue reading Real-Life Math: 2 Simple Strategies for Joyful Math Talk

Being Open-Minded to Mental Math

A recent conversation with a group of friends got me thinking about how I was taught to do calculations compared to how my children are being taught. I’m sure we have all heard the debate on “new math” versus “old math.” I don’t think there is such a thing, to be honest, but I do think there has been a distinct shift in the strategies students are being taught in elementary school for computations. …

Five Tips for Incorporating a Growth Mindset into Math Teaching

Growth mindset has become very popular in education and is, in a way, a bit of a buzz term. However, the benefits of applying growth mindset strategies in the math classroom have been visible among most of my students in my secondary mathematics classroom. I am a strong advocate for shifting our teaching from fixed mindset approaches to ones that incorporate a growth mindset. …

Gamification and Growth Mindset

Gamification is a newer term being used in education to describe turning difficult or boring tasks into activities that contain features of traditional games. Although the term may be new, the concept is definitely not, and I think teachers and parents have been doing this for a long time to help reluctant learners. …