Math is Figureoutable!

Math is Figureoutable!

Math is Figureoutable! Perhaps the most impactful expression I came across as a brand new teacher was “Math is Figure-out-able!” Not memorizable; figureoutable. When I was a kid math was taught differently; you had to memorize everything and regurgitate it later. ...
Attitudes (Mistakes are our friends II)

Attitudes (Mistakes are our friends II)

Helene If we want to change how our students feel about mistakes, our classroom has to be a safe place to make them. Once upon a time my brand new husband and I were driving 600 miles to our tiny new apartment. It was the middle of the night and the middle of nowhere...
Is Math Class a Bully?

Is Math Class a Bully?

Is Math Class a Bully? What’s it like to have a bully in your life? Being repeatedly shamed and humiliated. Feeling powerless to make it better. Dreading school… That sounds like math class for too many American kids. Somehow, students learn from their...
Mistakes are our friends!

Mistakes are our friends!

Mistakes are our friends! Can you think of a time your mistake led to something really great? When I was a kid my mom would often drag us to her latest artistic interest.  Los Angeles was full of them: a garden, a gallery, a house by a famous architect. Many times as...