Differentiating instruction is one of the greatest challenges for self-contained classroom teachers. Gone are the days of whole group lessons, and assigning the same activities to the entire class. We now teach in a student-centered environment where personalized learning is key.
Fortunately, our students are more engaged and successful than with the former instructional model. Unfortunately, teachers often feel swamped by the prep, coordination, and organization required to maintain quality differentiation. The key to keeping overwhelm at bay is the use of consistent routines and frameworks like math workshop, daily 5, reader’s workshop, and writer’s workshop throughout the day.
WHAT IS M.A.T.H. WORKSHOP?
“Since implementing the M.A.T.H. Workshop framework in my fifth grade classroom, math time has become one of our favorite parts of the day..”
The Components of a MATH workshop include:
Daily math warm up (10-15 minutes)
Mini lesson (10 minutes)
M.A.T.H. practice time (40 minutes)
Share (5-10 minutes)
“Students are more engaged because they participate in a variety of activities each day. Student achievement has grown because students are engaged in math work that is “just right” for them.”
ORGANIZING STUDENT GROUPS
To maximize efficiency and focus in the classroom, you may want to group students based on a pre-assessment. The groups you form can work through these activities at assigned times to minimize overcrowded at a specific rotation option, and to provide balance in the type of practice students participate in each week.