Get your students DOING math every lesson.

All people need varying degrees of "hands-on" experience to truly master a topic. Some need a lot, others a little, but we all need a portion, so be sure to supply it EVERY LESSON.

Introductory warm-ups are a great way to start a lesson. They can be different each day and act as a lead in to the lesson topic. They can be used to reinforce a skill that will be essential to the day's lesson.

Things to remember are:

1. Let them be short, 3-7 minutes.
2. Have the students use their hands as well as their minds, to cut paper, or fold paper or arrange items, etc.
3. Keep it fresh so the class will look forward to what you are going to pull out of your hat each day.

You may be saying, "Oh sure, how am I supposed to come up with an enticing, fun, hands-on activity every day for every class and one that actually applies to the lesson at hand?"

This is a logical question. And the answer is, STEAL. Until you have taught long enough to have a wonderful repertoire of self made wonder gems, you will simply have to do what everyone else does, use other people's ideas, and modify them to fit your own teaching style and students. themathlab.com is packed with some of our best wonder gems, but we also highly recommend the book MATH STARTERS.

Math Starters

A fantastic resource for teachers. This book is great for teachers or for anyone who wants to keep their math intelligence sharp with a problem a day. 650 ready to use starters that get kids quickly focused and working. These starter problems can be done in 5 to 10 minutes and are geared for kids in grades 6-12. Topics covered include: Whole Numbers: theory and operation Fractions, Decimals and Percents, Measurement, Geometry, Algebra, and Potpourri. Complete answer keys are included.

Also remember, once the formal lesson begins they still need to be doing math. Be sure to throw out lots of questions like, "What would happen to this expression if..., Okay, now flip it over and what will it look like, draw this..., Will it work for negative one..., Will it work for zero...., Where does this fail to be true..., Draw me an example of one that wouldn't work...,etc.

When you throw out these type of questions, GIVE THEM TIME TO THINK, walk around the classroom and look at what they are writing. You can also encourage them to come up with a group consensus, if they are sitting in groups. Communication between learners is essential. You'll be surprised, when you open the math up to the kids, they will almost always come up with something that you haven't thought of. Thus your own breadth of knowledge will be enhanced. It's a very positive experience for everyone.

The next logistical consideration is, "How do you get them ALL working when you have a class with 20 or more students?" It's seems impossible to get them all working and give feedback to each one quickly. If you could only see what they were all doing with just a glance it would be so much easier. Now if you have lots of chalk board space, you can send them all to the board, but in many instances this is not possible.

Here's an idea that we use all the time. We use "think-boards". These are mini chalk boards about one foot square. They fit on top of the student's desks. They write their responses and then hold up the boards. We can see in just a few seconds who understands and who doesn't. We keep chalk and clean washrags with these boards. Students pick these up as they enter the room on days that we are using the think-boards. Some students opt to dampen their washrags in the restroom before class starts. Everyone knows this is fine as long as it's done before class starts.

You can make a classroom set of think boards. Simply buy a sheet of 4' x 8' masonite or 1/4 inch smooth plywood. Paint it on one side with a dark, FLAT, paint using a smooth roller, we recommend two coats. Let the paint dry, and then cut it into 12 inch square boards. If you don't have the tools to cut the boards, ask your industrial arts teacher to cut them for you.

*NOTE OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE:
If you want your students to do math willingly and with enthusiasm, never ridicule a student for giving a wrong answer. Find something good about their response, then rephrase the question or modify it in a different way and ask them again. This gives the individual a chance to publicly redeem themselves and not feel stupid. It also sets a tone of respect and safety in your classroom that will be appreciated. You will get a great deal more participation if everyone knows that they are not in danger of ridicule.