Multiple looks at Multiplication!

(cited: https://www.tes.com/lessons)

Try these analogies:

Zebra is to stripes as giraffe is to _________.

Helmet: Football:: Broom:__________. 

Teachers planning in isolation is detrimental to students AS ...

Teams planning in isolation is equally ...__________________________________________________.

The first two pretty easy? Well of course. (answers: spots, cleaning)
What did you say about the third one?

Well the final analogy has to deal with the power of Vertical Teams planning. When I began as a teacher I had no choice but to plan alone. As magnificent as I believed myself to be I'm sure in my first few years, I ruined a great deal of kids. (shhhh...don't tell them)

(cited: https://teachertweaks.wordpress.com)

When I finally joined a team, I gained so much more insight into what I was doing, what I was supposed to be doing and whether or not my techniques were standard and research-based, even!

Before my tenth year in education, I was afforded the privilege to participate in some vertical math team planning sessions and my mind was blown! Coming from facilitation of 6th-8th grade for the first 5 years of my career, I had an idea of what I was to be doing when I became a 5th grade teacher. But at this point, it being my fourth consecutive year as a 5th grade math teacher, to sit with 3rd and 4th grade teachers and hear their input as to the strengths and weaknesses of students intrigued me. To hear how concepts were being taught in other grade levels opened up a whole new world of realization for me.

I reaped the benefit of knowing (for example) that students should have been coming to me already knowing how to make equivalent fractions, so when I began teaching add/subtract fractions with different denominators, it shouldn't be a skill I needed to spend a few days introducing. It needed to be a skill I reviewed as I introduced my focus skill. Talk about huge benefit! It saved me days in my instructional pacing!

Other Benefits of Vertical Team Planning/Discussions:
1. I began to know how to better pre-assess my students.
2. I was able to understand how to intervene and re-mediate (by reaching back and closing previous grade level gaps).
3. I knew which teacher to go and tattle to when one of the students said "we never learned that!"

Okay, that last one I threw in for fun-sies ...but doesn't that happen though? LOL

Anyways, in the same way that teachers planning in isolation is detrimental to both students and that lone-teacher; teams planning in isolation can be equally hazardous to the instructional process within a campus.

(cited: https://media.licdn.com/mpr)


Richard Dufour (of "All Things PLC" and Solution Tree) gives
precise focus for collaboration on Vertical Teams.

Check out my video that might bring up some great conversations for 2nd-5th grade Math teachers who might have the chance to participate in Vertical planing. The concept I focus on is Multiplication from creating equal groups to multiplying decimal numbers using models.

Arrays and Area Models are the focal point in these videos as well as how to connect the models to the algorithm!

Part 1 (2nd through 3rd grade)

Part 2 (4th through 5th grade)

I give a brief look at the following TEKS -
2.6A,
3.4D, 3.4E, 3.4G
4.4C, 4.4D
5.3B, 5.3D
...and the documents I use can be found at Lead4ward's website (their free resources) called the "Snapshot".

A few of the apps you see me using in the video are also free!!!
*Who doesn't love free stuff!?

Math Learning Center "Number Pieces" and "Number Frames" apps!

Let me know if there are any additional Vertical Team Planning videos you'd like to see as it pertains to K-5 Math instruction!