4.2A Can someone INTERPRET that for me?

I've heard teachers say that teaching 4.2A is just teaching "place value". They couldn't be more off base. It's more than that!

I've also seen teachers completely SKIP teaching 4.2A as to avoid the uncertainty of what it really means and to hide from the insecurity of 'not knowing'. They would probably find themselves in good company as this is a common practice with teachers.

Listen friend, there's no harm in studying your TEKS and using resources such as John Van De Walle's' "Student-Centered Math" to help you gain a richer understanding of how to meet the needs of your students!

Let's put an end to the avoidance as well as the misinterpretation of this standard, shall we?

Check out my 3 videos below and gain some ideas on how to uncover this understanding in your students! Hope you enjoy the hidden ELL strategies and formative assessments tucked in each video!

A special thanks to my fabulous network of teachers that aren't afraid to allow curiosity to spark investigation and both uncover as well as attempt new things! #indebted

Student Engagement...you or them?

What spurs engagement in our students? 

Is it an intrinsic attitude they must possess? Should they walk into class wanting to participate in the learning?

Is it an extrinsic motivating circumstance created by the teacher to pique and sustain the interest in the subject being taught? 

Is it a little of both? 

Watch a bit of the 7 min video clip and determine what is keeping these students engaged in the learning.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/subtraction-math-lesson-ousd#

In an article written by Richard Strong in Educational Leadership, teachers were polled about what type of work they found engaging. Their responses are wrapped up in the following summary,

"Engaging work, respondents said, was work that stimulated their curiosity, permitted them to express their creativity, and fostered positive relationships with others. It was also work at which they were good. As for activities they hated, both teachers and students cited work that was repetitive, that required little or no thought, and that was forced on them by others."

Consider the following components:
1. Stimulates curiosity
2. Allows students to express creativity
3. Fosters positive relationships with others