Teaching Reflections: Year 11 (2022-2023)

After quite a long hiatus, Monday Must Reads is back! This is my weekly-ish attempt at capturing the amazing ideas shared by (mostly) math teachers on twitter. I hope you find an idea or two worth adapting for your own classroom!

How Many Pumpkins Conversation Starter

This image from Molly Rawding is a great conversation starter. You should definitely file this away for next fall!

Creative Way to Approach Daily Objectives

I’ve never worked in a school district where I am required to post a daily objective, but I know that is a reality for quite a few teachers. I really like this photo from Melissa D with a different spin on daily objectives.

Hexagon Door Decorations

Looking to add a pop of color to your classroom? Check out this project from Jennifer Fairbanks!

Circumference and Area of Circles Open Middle Task

Attention Geometry Teachers! Check out this open middle problem from Tim Brzezinski.

Picture Equation Puzzles

I love this idea from Maite Alejandre. She has printed and laminated a bunch of picture equation puzzles from the internet to use with early finishers or as an introduction to systems of equations.

Here’s a translation of the tweet courtesy of Google Translate: “I always carry these cards in my backpack. I use them on shifts, in class if they have finished work, and as introductory material for equations.” I leave you the link if you consider that it can be useful””

Tents and Trees Puzzles with Manipulatives

I have used tents and trees puzzles with my students before, but Shauna Burnie blew my mind when she showed an example of solving these puzzles with manipulatives!

Life Sized Drag and Drop Lesson

Phonisha Hawkins features a life-sized drag and drop lesson featuring dry erase pockets. I absolutely love this idea!

Dry Erase Activity Structure

Jonathan shares a great structure for helping students work more effectively at white boards.

I can’t believe that this is the 100th volume of Monday Must Reads! It seems like just yesterday that I had the idea to start highlighting the awesome math ideas I saw being shared on twitter here on my blog.

Of course, it feels like just yesterday that I decided to even start writing a math teaching blog. This is currently year 11 in the classroom for me, and I started blogging while I was still studying education at university.

I hope you find an idea or two worth trying out in your own classroom from this 100th edition of Monday Must Reads!

Statistics Data Day

I love this idea shared by Mount Saint Charles School of having a “Data Day.”

Organizing a Class Set of Calculators

Sarah Kolle shares a great teacher hack involving velcro to keep up with a class set of calculators.

Random Grouping Cards

Looking to try out random grouping in your classroom? Check out these random grouping cards from Cononiah Watson.

Truchet Cubes

I’m definitely adding these truchet cubes to my to-do list! Thanks to Mark Kaercher for the inspiration!

Pay Rates for Introducing Exponential Growth

I really like how Trevor Chalmers takes the classic example of various pay rates for introducing exponential growth and pairs it with an excellent visual!

Interactive Math Puzzle Bulletin Boards

Becky Lindenmuth inspires with some interactive math puzzle bulletin boards!

Trigonometry Backwards Thinking Task

Mr. Canning shares a great backwards-thinking task for right triangle trig!

Museum of Periodic Trends

I really like how Alison Locke structured this chemistry activity as having students create their own “museum.”