Reviewing without Reteaching - Part 2
Here you’ll find a collection of our favorite review activities to help students synthesize the content and concepts from the semester and prepare for exams.
Reviewing without Reteaching - Part 1
Why re-teaching may not be the best option for end-of-semester review, and actually may have some problematic effects.
Choose the Right Contexts for Linear Systems
Help your students go deeper in their understanding of linear systems by choosing contexts that highlight the math, instead of complicating it.
Build deeper understanding of lines through contexts
Spark students' intuitive understanding of slope and linear relationships through contextual questions.
How to Debrief an EFFL Lesson
Understand the teacher's role in preparing for and facilitating an effective debrief of the EFFL activity.
A Full EFFL Lesson in One Class Period
Are you having trouble getting through a full lesson in one class period? Here are some tips to make you more efficient.
Using Questions to Help Students Construct Understanding
When getting ready to teach an EFFL lesson, many teachers worry: How will my students know how to do the activity if I haven't taught them yet? The key to students being able to complete the activity before instruction is in what questions you ask and how you ask them.
Using Question Structures to Write Assessments
Write your own higher-level thinking questions with intentionality and efficiency.
Mix Up Your Verbs
Assess deeper understanding by varying your verbs. In this blog post, we'll look at three categories of verbs and how to write appropriate questions at each level.
Setting the Stage for a Successful New School Year
A collection of our favorite tasks, resources, and activities to start the school year off right!
Establishing Norms in the Math Classroom
In this post we discuss our math and group work norms and how we introduce and uphold them throughout the year.
How to Balance Concepts and Procedures in an EFFL Classroom
Let's take a deeper look at how we can use homework and assessments to assess conceptual understanding and build procedural fluency.
Why Won't Mrs. Gallas Just Give Me Notes?
Research shows that students learn more when active learning rather than passive learning. This blog post contains an activity you can do with students to make them aware of why you teach the way you do.
How to Use a Math Medic Answer Key
Math Medic answer keys are not just for solutions and correct answers. They are meant to be the official guide to teaching the lesson.
How Do We Assign Homework?
In this post, we explain some of our philosophy around homework, with links to several resources you can use to create your homework assignments.
Turn your old notes into an Experience First, Formalize Later (EFFL) lesson
How can you take your more traditional notes and turn them into an activity that students can engage in without your direct instruction?
How to Design an Experience First, Formalize Later Lesson
We have explained how we teach using the Experience First, Formalize Later lesson design and also why this model is best for students. Here we will explain the ideas that we consider when designing these lessons.
Why Teach Using the Experience First, Formalize Later Model?
In our previous post, we explained how we implement the Experience First, Formalize Later model in the classroom. In this post, we dig into the "why".
Experience First, Formalize Later (EFFL)
Experience First, Formalize Later means that students are working collaboratively to think, to discuss, and to construct their own understanding of new content before the teacher helps students to arrive at formal definitions and formulas.