Author Archives: Fawn

Global Math Week Starts on October 10, 2017

By Fawn | Published: September 27, 2017

It was the summer of 2012 when I talked my colleagues, Erin and Melissa, into signing up for a week-long training in Palo Alto, California, to start a new Math Teachers’ Circle (MTC) program in our area. It was there that I first learned about Exploding Dots from Diana White, an associate professor from the […]

Posted in General, Problem Solving | Tagged exploding dots, global math movement, Global Math Project, Global Math Week, James Tanton, Raj Shah | 4 Responses

Upcoming Grassroots Workshop in December

By Fawn | Published: September 19, 2017

I’m super excited to announce my upcoming Grassroots Workshops event being held on Friday, December 8 and Saturday, December 9. It’s the first time that I get to spend TWO FULL DAYS sharing math teaching, math learning, and math awesomeness with teachers. So, if you teach mathematics (grades 6-12), please-please consider signing up! Registration does not […]

Posted in General, Teaching | Tagged Grassroots Workshops, PD, professional development | 3 Responses

Between 2 Numbers

By Fawn | Published: September 10, 2017

I created a new site, it’s called Between 2 Numbers. From the About/Contact page: The inspiration for this site came from John Allen Paulos’ book Innumeracy. I read the book back in 2008, but reading it again this past summer reignited the inspiration and turned it into fruition. In my lesson plan spreadsheet, I started a […]

Posted in General | Tagged comparing numbers, converting units, estimation, guestimation, Innumeracy, new site, proportional reasoning, proportions, ratios | 5 Responses

All I Got on Classroom Management

By Fawn | Published: August 11, 2017

Not enough people write about classroom management in a practical and realistic way. But this does! Helpful tips. https://t.co/oXXwOU6xDK — Michael Pershan (@mpershan) August 9, 2017 Classroom management is hard, and what’s “practical and realistic” for one person could be entirely impractical and unrealistic for someone else to follow. Take a math lesson taught successfully […]

Posted in Teaching | Tagged respect, tolerance | 13 Responses

Long Live the #MTBoS!

By Fawn | Published: July 27, 2017

Dan Meyer is calling for the retirement of the hashtag #MTBoS. He’s suggesting and going with #iteachmath or #iteachmaths instead. I get it. I get it that #iteachmath means I TEACH MATH. I get it that #MTBoS could mean anything. I get it that Dan’s intention is no more than to simply make the math community […]

Posted in Teaching | Tagged #MTBoS #community | 32 Responses

Euclid’s Algorithm

By Fawn | Published: May 15, 2017

I show my 6th graders this image, pointing out that this picture represents the two numbers 1 and 1 that I’d entered at the top. I then ask them to give me two new numbers — any two positive integers [that are 10 or less, for now] — and the computer will draw a new […]

Posted in Course 1 (6th Grade Math), Math 8, Problem Solving | Tagged conjectures, Euclid's algorithm, GCF, great common factor, I Notice I Wonder, problem solving, rectangles, square numbers, squares | 10 Responses

Community Circle

By Fawn | Published: May 7, 2017

We have Core time with our homeroom students — mine are 8th graders — for 3o minutes at the end of each day. Core is our SSR time, but ELD students are in ELD during this time. Once a month, however, we use this Core time to do a Community Circle (CC). We’re in our first […]

Posted in Teaching | Tagged community building, community circle, trust | 3 Responses

Solving an Equation with a Fraction

By Fawn | Published: May 1, 2017

From CPM: The Sutton family took a trip to see the mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park. Linda and her brother, Lee, kept asking, “Are we there yet?” At one point, their mother answered, “No, but what I can tell you is that we have driven 100 miles and we are about 2/5 of the way there.” […]

Posted in Algebra, Course 1 (6th Grade Math), Math 8 | Tagged fractions, solving equations, unit rate | 6 Responses

Lillian

By Fawn | Published: April 13, 2017

Lillian naturally comes to mind when I plan a lesson. She eats it up. She goes above and beyond. She’s thoughtful and appreciative. She shares her thinking with the class in mindful and modest doses. She smiles quietly at my jokes. I wish I had a copy of all her math work — especially her written reflections — […]

Posted in Teaching | Tagged advocacy, coming out, expectations, homework, parental pressure, student voice | 17 Responses

Be Brave or Be Desperate

By Fawn | Published: March 26, 2017

I had lunch with a former colleague — I”ll call her Laura — whom I hadn’t seen for some 20 plus years. She’s now retired and was in my town for a wedding. I got into my car, entered the restaurant’s address into my phone, Google Maps said I’d arrive at 12:05 PM, and I was […]