When I added math journaling to my math routine, I am non going to lie, it was PAINFUL! My students would oftentimes only write i tidings answers. And the ones who wrote a paragraph made NO sense.
Reading them was my to the lowest degree favorite instructor project in addition to ever made me experience similar my students only weren't getting it.
And it dawned on me- I had been teaching math, but had failed to learn them how to explicate their thinking!
Fast forwards a few years in addition to lots of tears in addition to tacos later- I intend I remove maintain finally figured out how to learn my students to write almost math.
Let me part the step-by-step lessons that made a huge departure for my students.
If y'all prefer listening to this content via podcast, I remove maintain that too!
I elaborate on all v steps inwards my physical care for below. I would also live happy to transportation y'all a piddling cheat canvas to assist y'all to think the physical care for after when you're writing lesson plans. Just drib your refer in addition to e-mail address below in addition to I volition transportation that right away.
Day 1: Teacher Modeling
In my classroom, the start solar daytime of teaching students to write almost math is all almost the teacher. I volition live doing all of the operate today. #eatyourwheatiesI display or write the math prompt on my board. I volition carefully read the prompt (more than once) equally I intend aloud. I volition underline in addition to circle substitution words in addition to chat amongst myself almost what functioning or steps I demand to role to solve. I volition depict a pic or other visual representation of the problem. I volition thus write a consummate paragraph to reply the prompt. I role i of our math periodical judgement starters.
I larn dorsum in addition to reread my reply to construct certain it makes feel in addition to that I used proper spelling in addition to grammar. I display my rubric in addition to cheque my operate using the guidelines. I construct adjustments to my answer.
This is key: I do NOT inquire for whatsoever input from the students.
Yup, y'all read that correctly. This genuinely makes my students uncomfortable because they are thus used to leading in addition to driving cast discussions. Many students volition set their mitt upward inwards the air to seek in addition to offering suggestions or answers. I do non telephone phone on them.
Trust me- this is non the norm inwards my class, but I remove maintain discovered that many students NEED to reckon me do a periodical prompt. They can't live distracted amongst having to write or come upward up amongst answers. Students remove maintain problem listening when their mitt is inwards the air or when they are trying to cast a response inwards their head. They only demand to remove heed to me intend through the problem.
I know this is non engaging, but it has made a huge departure inwards my students' agreement of math periodical expectations.
To spice it up, at the destination of the lesson, remove maintain students say their partner some things that they noticed y'all did piece writing almost math. You could construct a listing or an anchor nautical chart if y'all remove maintain time.
Day 2: Teacher Guided
The adjacent day, I opened upward the lesson past times reminding them almost the agency I read, drew in addition to wrote almost math the solar daytime before. You could remove maintain them part over again amongst their partner.Next, I give every educatee the exact same prompt. We add together them to our math journals. Be certain to give expectations for how y'all desire these glued in! I had a piddling guy gum his to the middle of the page. Sigh...
I nonetheless display the prompt on the board, but I inquire students for input.
What should nosotros do first? What do y'all intend are substitution words? What are nosotros existence asked to do? What functioning do nosotros demand to use? What variety of drawing would help? What variety of math vocabulary tin terminate nosotros use?
I nonetheless depict the pic in addition to write the paragraph, but I do it amongst their input. I guide them. I strongly encourage them to write the reply only similar mine. They are practicing the writing, but are non having to come upward up amongst the reply on their own.
Plus, they volition remove maintain a sample inwards their notebooks or a periodical prompt done to your standards. They tin terminate refer to it after when they are journaling independently.
After nosotros write, nosotros larn the rubric out. (I remove maintain all my students buy the farm on i inwards their notebook for uncomplicated reference.) We degree our response together in addition to thus construct adjustments to come across the expectations. Don't skip this part! Students demand to empathise how they volition live assessed. They demand to empathise the expectations in addition to practise going dorsum to revise.
I similar to closed amongst a quick pair share. What steps do mathematicians accept when writing almost their thinking?
Day 3: Pair Share
I beloved solar daytime 3 because I start to hear students talking only similar me. That ever makes me smile!Today, I start past times reviewing the things nosotros remove maintain talked about. I remove maintain students gum the prompt into their notebook in addition to thus I remove maintain them operate amongst their shoulder partner to consummate the prompt.
While they are working, I walk the room in addition to give lots of reminders. Don't forget to depict a picture. Don't forget to write inwards consummate sentences. Did y'all role whatsoever math vocabulary? Most of my kids do a pretty skillful project on this day. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few partners demand to a greater extent than assist than others. I focus my efforts on these students.
When most students are done, I similar to remove maintain a few students part their responses. I carefully select students to showcase. As a class, nosotros role the rubric to assess their responses. Then, I remove maintain students operate on assessing their ain writing. Students are ever real proud of their work!
Day 4: Guided Math Group
Day 4 is the start solar daytime that I inquire students to consummate the periodical prompt on their own.The alone grab is that I remove maintain them do it during their guided math group. I respect carefully equally students operate independently. I volition offering reminders if I reckon kiddos forgetting things. If I reckon a educatee who is agency off base, I volition assist them. Since I alone remove maintain 6-8 students inwards each math group, this solar daytime genuinely gives me a gamble to respect in addition to informally assess.
When they are done, nosotros volition role the rubric to assess all of their writing. We volition destination the grouping talking almost whatsoever changes nosotros demand to construct for the adjacent time.
I buy the farm on a listing of students who powerfulness demand some intervention or are non railroad train for independent journaling. I desire to live certain in addition to delineate these students for an extra practise session real soon. I also demand to create upward one's heed if they are struggling amongst the journaling or amongst the math skill. These observations assist me to guide hereafter didactics amongst each group.
Day 5: Independent
The lastly pace is to remove maintain students consummate periodical prompts independently.I oftentimes remove maintain them do this during an independent math center. Be certain to select prompts that encompass skills y'all remove maintain already taught inwards keen detail. If y'all role construct novel skills, students are normally non able to dig deep plenty to consummate the periodical prompts. I normally select topics from the previous unit.
You tin terminate also differentiate past times giving dissimilar prompts to each of your groups. I alone give i per week, but y'all tin terminate easily give more.
At first, I degree every student's journal prompts at the destination of the week. #gulp
This is non easy! I role the same rubric that the kids have. I similar to write them some piddling notes too. We are having a mathematical conversation!
After a pair of weeks, I remove maintain a listing of students who are potent math writers, some who are closed in addition to some who are nonetheless struggling. I volition no longer degree every person's prompts every week. I only don't remove maintain fourth dimension for that! Those who are doing well, may alone remove maintain i prompt per calendar month graded. Those who are approaching may remove maintain 2 prompts a calendar month graded. My strugglers volition practise to a greater extent than inwards guided math groups until they are ready. I give them real regular feedback.
This v solar daytime physical care for has been real successful inwards my classroom. Even my lowest writers are doing a fair job. They remove maintain room to improve, but their responses don't remove me to tears anymore!
Need some math periodical prompts? Click HERE to grab some!
Don't forget to grab that costless cheat sheet!
Have a Not So Wimpy day!
