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Fifth Grade Teachers Chatboard

New Teacher in need of advice.

by KMB

Jun 26, 2011

I am hoping to get some advice on classroom management and basic planning for 5th grade math. I am not a first year teacher, and I am not entirely new to inner city schools. I was hoping that some veteran teachers in grades 4th through 6th would have some helpful hints, ideas, or resources to help me begin planning. I really want to know what works and does not work for classroom procedures and management. I will have access to a lot of technology including an interwrite board so any ideas for that would be helpful as well! Anything that you think will be useful especially in my first few weeks would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your advice!

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Sara On 6/26/11, KMB wrote:

Based on my experience, I'd say there is no thing or anything that assuredly works for every teacher in every school classroom. You need to find what works for you and in each school you work in - even from class to class. I've had classes that require a different approach than the four other classes I teach in the ...See MoreOn 6/26/11, KMB wrote:

Based on my experience, I'd say there is no thing or anything that assuredly works for every teacher in every school classroom. You need to find what works for you and in each school you work in - even from class to class. I've had classes that require a different approach than the four other classes I teach in the same grade in the same school. Notably the classes that meet right before lunch, right after lunch and the last period of the day are usually more restless and thus more challenging than your other classes.

So no one I think can speak for every class in any school as to what works - your building teachers will usually be your best source of advice though what works for them may not work for you - students respond differently to different teachers. I work between to men teachers who when needed can boom with their voices and reduce their classes to silence. When I boom with my voice, my students look at me like I'm nuts, briefly, and then return to talking. So booming doesn't work for me.

Intriguing lessons that move briskly work for me. I keep it moving and I use the laptop connected to the video projector - I use lots of visuals that are interesting and I run my class like a discovery workshop. I ignore minor disruptions, I never give homework on weekends or holidays and generally try to avoid homework altogether. I give the benefit of the doubt and spend long hours planning, planning and planning.

That's what works for me. > I am hoping to get some advice on classroom management and > basic planning for 5th grade math. I am not a first year > teacher, and I am not entirely new to inner city schools. I > was hoping that some veteran teachers in grades 4th through > 6th would have some helpful hints, ideas, or resources to > help me begin planning. I really want to know what works > and does not work for classroom procedures and management. > I will have access to a lot of technology including an > interwrite board so any ideas for that would be helpful as > well! Anything that you think will be useful especially in > my first few weeks would be appreciated. Thank you in > advance for your advice!

Jul 1, 2011

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Francie I review homework quickly, either using the whiteboard or the Elmo. Students grade their work using a red pen, and I show how to solve a few problems. Sometimes if work is not done, I ask students to stay in or bench themselves for recess so it is done before we start the math lesson after recess.

I move on to a new subject. Guided lesson...See More

Jul 2, 2011

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KMarieB Thank you, thank you, thank you! That order is very helpful!

On 7/02/11, Francie wrote: > I review homework quickly, either using the whiteboard or the > Elmo. Students grade their work using a red pen, and I show > how to solve a few problems. Sometimes if work is not done, I > ask students to stay in or bench themselves for ...See MoreThank you, thank you, thank you! That order is very helpful!

On 7/02/11, Francie wrote: > I review homework quickly, either using the whiteboard or the > Elmo. Students grade their work using a red pen, and I show > how to solve a few problems. Sometimes if work is not done, I > ask students to stay in or bench themselves for recess so it > is done before we start the math lesson after recess. > > I move on to a new subject. Guided lesson. I buy spiral > notebooks when they are 10 cents each, and everyone works on > classwork in their math spiral. This way no one gets up to > grab paper. > > After guided lesson, if students are confused, they come up to > the whiteboard for a small group lesson. the other students > can quietly work on the lesson (either the workbook, a handout > I created, or the book). Sometimes this becomes the homework, > so they are motivated to finish it during class. Sometimes I > have the answer book available so they can check their work > when they are done. > > It is good to have an activity ready for fast finishers. > Chess is amazing! They love it. I used DonorsChoose to get a > class set of chessboards, chess pieces and some chess timers. > > You can also have some fun enrichment activities or activities > using manipulatives for fast finishers. > > Here is the order I teach math: > > September: Number place values â€“ up to a billion, then I do > decimals > > October: Decimals â€“ you need to line them up and add zero to > subtract, decimal division 4.3 divided by .234, decimal > multiplication. â€œSecret oneâ€ trick â€“ a special way to > help solve decimal problems I created. > > October/November: Multiplication and Division: two digit > division, and two-digit multiplication > > October/November: Fractions/Percent/Decimals â€“ how they all > say the same thing. I focus on obtaining 100 in the > denominator > > November/December: Fractions â€“ add, multiply, divide, and > subtract â€“ including 2/3 and Mixed numbers 3 1/5. Having to > re-name to solve: 5 1/3 â€“ 2 5/6 > > January: Integers: negative and positive adding and > subtracting (we say, â€œCircle, circle, change the signs!â€), > ordered pairs, absolute value (not tested in CA) > > February: Geometry: polygons, angles, degrees in polygons, > perimeter, area, circumference (no longer tested in 5th grade > in California, so I then teach this in May after testing), > volume, surface area. > > March: Algebra: linear equations, 3x â€“ 5 = 7, if x is 6, > what is the solution to this equation? 15 â€“ 2x = ? I also > teach a sixth grade algebra skill of solving for x: 3 + 2x = > 13. They subtract 3 from both sides of the equation. Then > they divide by 2 to solve for x. > > April: Probability, and review for state testing in May > > May: Units of measure â€“ using ratios and cross multiplying > to solve conversion problems (this is a sixth grade skill I > teach) > > Francie 5th Los Angeles > > > > > On 6/26/11, KMB wrote: >> I am hoping to get some advice on classroom management and >> basic planning for 5th grade math. I am not a first year >> teacher, and I am not entirely new to inner city schools. I >> was hoping that some veteran teachers in grades 4th through >> 6th would have some helpful hints, ideas, or resources to >> help me begin planning. I really want to know what works >> and does not work for classroom procedures and management. >> I will have access to a lot of technology including an >> interwrite board so any ideas for that would be helpful as >> well! Anything that you think will be useful especially in >> my first few weeks would be appreciated. Thank you in >> advance for your advice!

Jul 3, 2011

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Francie I am glad this helps. I know it seems weird to teach fractions converting to decimals BEFORE you teach fractions, but it works!

Perhaps because I focus on 100 in the denominator, and whatever is in the numerator is what the percent is. All I know is that this works, so when you finally get to fractions, students have a better sense of the...See MoreI am glad this helps. I know it seems weird to teach fractions converting to decimals BEFORE you teach fractions, but it works!

Perhaps because I focus on 100 in the denominator, and whatever is in the numerator is what the percent is. All I know is that this works, so when you finally get to fractions, students have a better sense of the movement that is available from fractions to decimals to percents.

Francie

On 7/03/11, KMarieB wrote: > Thank you, thank you, thank you! That order is very helpful! > > On 7/02/11, Francie wrote: >> I review homework quickly, either using the whiteboard or the >> Elmo. Students grade their work using a red pen, and I show >> how to solve a few problems. Sometimes if work is not done, I >> ask students to stay in or bench themselves for recess so it >> is done before we start the math lesson after recess. >> >> I move on to a new subject. Guided lesson. I buy spiral >> notebooks when they are 10 cents each, and everyone works on >> classwork in their math spiral. This way no one gets up to >> grab paper. >> >> After guided lesson, if students are confused, they come up to >> the whiteboard for a small group lesson. the other students >> can quietly work on the lesson (either the workbook, a handout >> I created, or the book). Sometimes this becomes the homework, >> so they are motivated to finish it during class. Sometimes I >> have the answer book available so they can check their work >> when they are done. >> >> It is good to have an activity ready for fast finishers. >> Chess is amazing! They love it. I used DonorsChoose to get a >> class set of chessboards, chess pieces and some chess timers. >> >> You can also have some fun enrichment activities or activities >> using manipulatives for fast finishers. >> >> Here is the order I teach math: >> >> September: Number place values â€“ up to a billion, then I do >> decimals >> >> October: Decimals â€“ you need to line them up and add zero to >> subtract, decimal division 4.3 divided by .234, decimal >> multiplication. â€œSecret oneâ€ trick â€“ a special way to >> help solve decimal problems I created. >> >> October/November: Multiplication and Division: two digit >> division, and two-digit multiplication >> >> October/November: Fractions/Percent/Decimals â€“ how they all >> say the same thing. I focus on obtaining 100 in the >> denominator >> >> November/December: Fractions â€“ add, multiply, divide, and >> subtract â€“ including 2/3 and Mixed numbers 3 1/5. Having to >> re-name to solve: 5 1/3 â€“ 2 5/6 >> >> January: Integers: negative and positive adding and >> subtracting (we say, â€œCircle, circle, change the signs!â€), >> ordered pairs, absolute value (not tested in CA) >> >> February: Geometry: polygons, angles, degrees in polygons, >> perimeter, area, circumference (no longer tested in 5th grade >> in California, so I then teach this in May after testing), >> volume, surface area. >> >> March: Algebra: linear equations, 3x â€“ 5 = 7, if x is 6, >> what is the solution to this equation? 15 â€“ 2x = ? I also >> teach a sixth grade algebra skill of solving for x: 3 + 2x = >> 13. They subtract 3 from both sides of the equation. Then >> they divide by 2 to solve for x. >> >> April: Probability, and review for state testing in May >> >> May: Units of measure â€“ using ratios and cross multiplying >> to solve conversion problems (this is a sixth grade skill I >> teach) >> >> Francie 5th Los Angeles >> >> >> >> >> On 6/26/11, KMB wrote: >>> I am hoping to get some advice on classroom management and >>> basic planning for 5th grade math. I am not a first year >>> teacher, and I am not entirely new to inner city schools. I >>> was hoping that some veteran teachers in grades 4th through >>> 6th would have some helpful hints, ideas, or resources to >>> help me begin planning. I really want to know what works >>> and does not work for classroom procedures and management. >>> I will have access to a lot of technology including an >>> interwrite board so any ideas for that would be helpful as >>> well! Anything that you think will be useful especially in >>> my first few weeks would be appreciated. Thank you in >>> advance for your advice!

Jul 4, 2011

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Rosie Where are you located? Your state or district should have some kind of pacing guide for the order in which to teach math concepts.

I teach fourth grade, math, only if you have any additional questions.

Jul 5, 2011

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