Math Students More Successful as Teacher Utilizes Instructional Activities During Transitional Times Throughout the School Day
My students deserve the best education opportunities they can get. A lot of my students have been in need of more instructional time to practice and master math skills so that they can be successful in the classroom, on state tests, and develop necessary life skills. That additional time is hard to come by before and after school due to transportation issues, parental support, and teacher availability. Then, it dawned on me- why not reclaim that time during the transitional time before the school day starts, during the school day, and dismissal time? The result is an estimated additional 25 days of instructional time!
Using hands-on and home-made math manipulatives, sound classroom methodologies as well as chants and songs, my math students have had more success on classroom, district, and state assessments when implementing time on-task strategies in the hallways.
Challenges or Obstacles:
- When implementing this best practice, one should note that there will be students discussing questions and formulating conjectures while in transit; some talking will be involved and is necessary dependent upon the tasks at-hand.
- You will teach the entire day, all day long- which is exhausting, but well worth the effort.
- If your school’s policy on hallway passing periods is zero noise, it might be difficult, but not impossible, to implement this best practice.
Benefits and Successes:
- Although ISTEP tests only measure so much, I have had increasing student achievement results when compared to 2009-10 ISTEP passing data, to 2013-14. Students in my 5th grade classroom went from around 70% passing to nearly 100%, many of which achieved “Pass-Plus” scores.
- My students are more equipped to justify answers and create and defend self-developed conjectures about the mathematical world around them.
- Confidence in math has sky-rocketed and students have fewer opportunities to act-out or engage in unsavory behaviors during transitional times!
Additional Information:
Click here to see pictures of this Best Practice in action
Submitted by: Eric Ambler, East Washington Academy