It's New Year's resolution time! My thoughts are that as a math interventionist I don't get a lot of time to work with students who are more advanced in mathematics. Teachers I work with tell me they also feel this way as they are constantly pouring their every minute into supporting students at the bottom. Therefore, my New Year's resolution is to spend 5 minutes a day with a student who needs enrichment and to give ideas to teachers on how to also dedicate this 'feel-good' time.
Here is my dastardly plan to fit in a bit of math every day with an advanced learner (or two or three):
1. Meet a student or two at his or her locker at the beginning or end of the day.
Believe it or not, the more advanced students are always in learning mode and can absolutely focus at their locker after a long day and when the halls are busy.
2. Whisper to a kid during my push-in time when the classroom teacher is doing direct instruction and my at-risk kids are listening.
Obviously the classroom teacher can't take advantage of this move- well maybe depending on their teaching style!
3. Sit an advanced kid on the other side of me and the struggler(s) I am working with in the regular classroom. Tag-team the two levels. While my struggler(s) is/are working, I can whisper to an advanced kid, or better yet silently write to the advanced student(s).
4. Each one, teach one. Have you heard of this? In short, have the advanced student tell another advanced student the challenge problem and see if that student can solve it. Without classroom disruptions, of course! Even suggest he/she share the challenge in the lunch room. Believe me, only the math geeks will be interested in spending their lunch time on a math problem! And the leading student will be excited to take pencils and scrap paper to the lunchroom!
What can I do to enrich in just a few minutes?
Typically, geometry, measurement (metric system!), time and money are rushed units of study or simply not taught long, often or well enough for mastery. Then there is the world of two-step story problems which is a very easy enrichment hit! As well, vocabulary is a good place to offer up an interesting challenge.
I think for starters, I will write the word, heptagon on a few index cards and tell a few kids it is a new shape I bet they don't know about. I'll ask them to bring me back the card with the definition and a few different heptagons they have drawn, as well a sentence on what a heptagon would be good for. I think I will even create a space for 1. definition 2. drawings 3. imaginative uses. OK- created!
Wait! In my estimation this will only take 1 minute!!! Lets see how this catches on. I am betting I'll have more kids come to me wanting one of these cards. Tee hee hee!Stay tuned for more on how The Enrichment Project is going! Project starts Monday!
Happy New Year!
Love this idea!
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