Monday- Whole group lesson
We use this time to introduce the skill we are focusing on that week. After we give an overview and lesson (this week it was the conversation hearts adding and subtracting worksheet I shared here) we give a pretest. We give a pretest to determine groups. We have 21 students so each group gets about 7 kids (give or take). We do our best to ability group into these three groups.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
No whole group lesson at all! We break into small groups for about 40 minutes (I know, really. I get FORTY minutes with a small group of kids!). Then we give students an independent assignment. The para then pulls about 3 children that are not independent and reviews and covers the skills they need specifically. My partner pulls small groups if they have trouble and I float helping kids as trouble arises. When students finish their independent work, they turn it in and have an assigned activity. Usually kids have about 15- 20 minutes for this time. Students are either completing an All By Myself activity, Helping Others With Math Activity or playing a Math Game. Helping Others with Math group then comes to me and I help them (or observe them) complete a word problem in their math journal before moving to partner work.
You can read about how I organize the M.A.T.H. acronym here. If anyone would like more details about the materials for Guided Math or the activities for Helping Others, Math Games and All By Myself, please comment and I will try to write up a post about it. It has been a GREAT system.
Friday
We post test and we teach some kind of new math game. I usually find these games online or I often make my own. Many are posted in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I also have several posted for free on my website.I know it is an unusual set up with all the extra hands, but it has been SO helpful! Please let me know if you want any more examples, pictures or information. But I must say, I am one happy math teacher! I wish we ALL had these kinds of ratios!
12 comments:
Good for you! This sounds like a great set up! Love some small group Math!
Peace, Love and First Grade
I teach guided math, too...Monday is our whole group lesson and we have groups Tues-Thurs with a test on Fri. I have one other teacher in my room (special ed teacher), and she runs the group called "Seatwork". She comes up with games and activities to do when the kids rotate to her. We also have a math journal station and a math game on computers station. I run the Teacher station, where I do practice problems and teach/re-teach. I have an hour, so each group is 15 minutes long. I love it and it goes by SO fast!!
You're so spoiled in such a good way. Congrats!
Sounds like a great set up! I teach a modified version of this, however I don't have the extra hands, so it isn't quite as nice :) Thank you for sharing.
~Stephanie
Teaching in Room 6
Sounds great!!!
❤ Mor Zrihen from...
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I use Guided Math my special ed classroom and I love it. I would love to see what your pretest looks like for any unit. I usually group my students are I see how they perform during the lesson on Monday-whole group.
Thanks.
Tracey
3 adults! What a luxury lol. Enjoy it while it lasts!
I tagged you in a post, come over and check it out!
Twins, Teaching and Tacos.
I'm getting ready to start this! Thank you SOOO much for sharing.
Elizabeth
Fun in Room 4B
Hi - I'm a Title 1 teacher in MN currently co-teaching with a 3rd grade teacher during math instead of doing pull-out small groups. We are VERY interested in your guided structure. I've read every post you have about it but can't seem to find an explanation of the 40 minute small group time you talk about. Is every student in a group at that time or is that the time you're using the chart where some groups are doing "Math Games," "All by Myself" or "Helping Others??" Thanks!
I'd really like to know more about what you do in Helping others?
I'd really like to know more about what you do in Helping others?
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