Fraction, Decimal, Percent

Something that the sixth grade math teachers at my school do is a daily Fraction/Decimal/Percent, or Daily Fraction. We take the fraction of the year that we have completed (ex: 2/180 days), simplify the fraction, convert it to a decimal by long division, and then convert the decimal to a percent. In the first week, this is very difficult for students because it is (usually) not something that they have done before. However, it gives them some familiarity with the concept, making that unit easier for them. It also teaches them to recognize benchmark fractions that can be converted quickly, as long as you have simplified the fraction first. (Ex: 90/180 = 1/2 = 50%)


I have found a neat FDP game on Pinterest called the Math Detective. I'll plan on using it during our first unit on fractions and decimals!

8 Mathematical Practices

I currently do not have any displays of the 8 mathematical practices in my room, and am trying to think of a good way to make them visible without taking up too much wall space. While I was looking for some display resources for Math 6 Common Core "I can" statements, Teach Inspire Prepare on TpT had these free mathematical practices cards. Check them out as well as the "I can" statement cards that I intend to purchase!

Ask 3 before me

Something that I would like to get better at is giving students time to think, research, and struggle. That last part may sound harsh, but it is good for them to recognize that not everything is going to come easy to them and that they have the tools to overcome confusion and get help from someone other than "the person with all of the answers", because honestly, I don't! Something that I plan to display in my classroom is an "Ask 3 before me" poster. I got the font from Hello Fonts on TpT (Hello Box Stitch) and created it really quickly. You're welcome to use mine or create your own!

Fonts

Make fun posters!

Using this resource from teacherspayteachers.com, you can download tons of fonts that will help you spice up your handouts, announcements, posters, etc! Just download the zip file, look through the fonts individually (which isn't super convenient) and if you want to use one, just "install" it. It should then show up in your processing programs (Word, Powerpoint, etc.) under Hello _____. I have found that they don't always show up very legibly if they are too small, but if you make them large, they look so fun! 

My classroom... last year

These are a couple of pictures that I took when I set up my classroom for the first time last year. It stayed this way for a while, but I got tired of it. Once I started switching things up, I kept changing it, never finding what I really liked. The main problem is the desks: because the chairs are connected to the desks, it is difficult to put them side-by-side and still provide enough room for students to squeeze in between them. Fortunately, I teach 6th grade and most students can climb in or move the desks back and forth.

Our school has sky lighting (the arch on the left) that provides natural lighting in the room! The walls are pretty bare because I don't have a lot of resources that are big enough to be useful.

The desks were arranged in groups of 5.

The way that the desks ended the year in my room was in two arcs. One of my classes had a hard time focusing and communicating well with each other, so I asked them for ideas on how to arrange that classroom that might promote a more positive environment. The arc idea was a suggestion from a student, and when we tried it, most seemed to like it.

While reading Following my Heart to First Grade, I saw a picture of how she has her classroom set up. I may try this desk structure, but would still face the issue of students being able to get in.

I do want to have students sitting in groups, or at least pairs, because being able to work with other people is so important!