First Day of Math

The idea of the “first day” just seems overwhelming. As a teacher I am beyond excited to get into the math but realistically my students might not be there just yet.  They are more concerned about who they will sit with at lunch, what their friends are wearing, who is new at school and what their friends were doing all summer long.

Not to say our time is not valuable, but I believe there needs to be a gradual approach to moving into instruction one that balances, discipline, procedures and routines with icebreaker activities and subject matter.

In my experience when it comes to math there needs to be trust.  Trust that kids feel safe to make mistakes, no one will laugh at them when they do, and their worth is determined not just by the grade they receive but their effort in the class. 

Building this kind of dynamic is not easy it takes times and more importantly the teacher explicitly bringing a balanced approach to instruction, one that let’s kids be kids and learning to be driven by their needs and interests and not just the curriculum and pacing plan.  

To set the stage for math instruction check out YouCube “Week of Inspirational Math”   

This presentation include the first day of YouCube’s lesson, including the Four 4’s Math activity.  There is also a feedback form that will show the student their input is just as valuable to you as what you give to them.  In order to make the student-teacher dynamic work, you need to own the fact that this relationship takes both partners working together.  

Share your ideas and best practices for the first week of school!