Teaching Math – Matt Rector

Do Animal Emoji’s Help More Kids Learn More Math?

by Matt
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November 4, 20240

In my never ending quest to create a better math program that helps more kids learn more math I created the Animal Emoji system at the end of last year. Now that we have completed a quarter of the new school year I thought that it was a good time to assess how it’s going […]

Team Building Tuesday: Getting Started

by Matt
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September 4, 2024

(5-min Non-curricular tasks that motivate, activate and engage Math students) If you want to read the research on why these are effective go here ENTHUSIASM MATTERS – There is enough info in each slide for students to figure it out. Start the timer and say “Go!”. Use your words to encourage them to persevere and […]

Why Math?

by Matt
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March 23, 2024

According to Wikipedia, “Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes.” Other sources have similar definitions but I would like to pose a different perspective. I think that what most people think of […]

Is “Building Thinking Classrooms” Grouping right???

by Matt
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February 13, 2024

As a math teacher I am constantly reevaluating my program because even if we think everything is perfect our group of kids change every year and what might have been great for last year’s group might not be so for this one. One of the parts of my program that I thought I’d revisit this […]

Introducing Students to the Three Read

by Matt
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September 12, 2023

I developed the three read (self) assessment system prior to COVID and as great as it turned out to be at helping students take ownership of their learning and become awesome problem solvers it always took longer than I wanted for them to understand and truly embrace the system. This year I wanted to shorten […]

Low Floor High Ceiling High Cognitive Demand Activities

by Matt
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August 23, 20230

How to make every activity a low floor high ceiling high cognitive demand activity

It’s All About the Dog

by Matt
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May 18, 2023

Meet Rufus, a super light stuffed dog that we use to decide who reads or answers a question next. How does an inanimate stuffed dog choose students you might ask? Well, using a complex AI generated algorithm I created a… Only kidding!!! As much of a techno geek as I am, I have come to […]

The Art of Teaching

by Matt
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October 30, 2022

I talk and think a lot about our art. As a scientist I also think and write a lot about data and research. I know some people think these are mutually exclusive but, in my opinion, anyone that says that doesn’t really have a good grasp of either. Last Formative Friday, the Team Test I […]

Mindset Monday: 21st Century Job Skills

by Matt
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September 19, 2022

Mindset Monday 21st Century Job Skills Kids have learned the power of why. Clean your room. Why? Eat your vegetables. Why? Learn Math. Why? Over the years I have heard (and said) multiple answers to this question: So you can be a Scientist/get a good job/graduate/earn more money etc etc. Unfortunately, for the vast majority […]

How I assign Desmos Activities in Google Classroom

by Matt
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September 18, 2022

Check out this little video on I do this thing