We all know the term "growth  mindset" has been pretty trendy lately.  But, what does it REALLY mean to cultivate it in your classroom?  When the article "How to Integrate Growth Mindset Messages Into Every Part of Math Class" kept showing up in our Twitter feed, I knew I had to check it out.  This is one of the opening sentences of the article:

Can you identify with the 60% who don't feel strongly about cultivating a growth mindset in your students? I know I feel that way at times. 

Fortunately, this article had some concrete suggestions of what we can do... and there's something we ALREADY do!

One of the suggestions is to use error analysis, which we do quite often in the Notebook zone.  I originally got the idea from Teaching With a A Mountain View (check it out for some great pre-made error analysis pages!). I modified her form for our ELLs, so that it includes a word bank and sentence starters. We do a number talk style model of what a strong response looks like before students work on the page on their own.  Here are some examples from my 4th grade class from their work on the standard algorithm for subtraction.

So how does this error analysis cultivate a growth mindset? Here's what Cathrine Good, growth mindset researcher and social psychology professor says about error analysis: "Embedded in that worked example is a lovely opportunity to talk about growth mindset and mistakes and process."

Do you use error analysis with your students? How can you use this to cultivate a growth mindset in your class?

Always growing,
Christi

Bring it February!  The longest shortest month is in full swing here in beautiful Michigan.  I may count it as one of my spiritual gifts to make it through each winter here; but alas, spring break is on the horizon (48 days... if you're counting  #thankyoujesus).

We kicked off the new year with some great site visits from other Michigan schools interested in starting ZONES which got me thinking about some of the common questions we receive. 

Here's the low down on how I've made the ZONES framework successful... and work for ME in my classroom.  I think that's one of the best things about the ZONES framework is its ability to be customized FOR you and TO your student population.  Our team always laughs when we discuss things about ZONES because we find each of us utilizing it slightly differently. 

So, here goes.  Welcome to Root's Room!  P.S. We love visitors!

First things first, I use the NY Engage Curriculum.   So when I sit down to plan each week, I focus on the overall skill/standard as my starting point.  From there I think of ways to plug it into each zone. So, basically I plan for the daily lessons, as well as how I can incorporate the standard focus through each zone.  This particular week the focus was developing the concept of multiplication using groups of 4.  The way I've found best to organize this for me and my students is through the use of a menu (which I customize each week). 

Exhibit A:

The expectations have been set when we launched ZONES back in September, so all I really need to do is a quick run through each week of what each center entails.  From here the students are put in charge of their own learning, while I'm freed up to conference or pull small groups.   They make their selection of which ZONE they want to go to, and I initial their choice on their menu.  Once everyone has chosen, I set a timer for 20 minutes and ZONES is off and running!

*As a side note, my literacy is taught through this similar balanced approach, which really makes it seamless for the kids.  ZONES aligns amazingly well to the Daily 5 choice board. #winning

This is an easy one... it pretty much stays the same all year.  God bless Reflex Math.  If you haven't checked it out, it's an amazing program for fact fluency and spits out fabulous data reports for teachers, students & parents!  Students also have the option of practicing fact fluency in other ways such as flashcards (with our handy dandy ZONES MemoriZe Mat), or power towers. 

On your Own is typically a worksheet practice of some sort.  I really push the use of their Resource Journal to complete independently. 

It's organized using a shoe holder.  Each week there's pages they MUST complete, and if they accomplish them, they MAY choose another extension (typically it's more of a fun activity or spiral review pages).  If they choose not to do a MAY do (and they are done with the MUST do) they can always work with their flashcards.

This is where the writing component for math comes into play.   I've found the K-5 Teaching resources journal prompts work fabulously for targeting this skill.  Because 18 of my 27 students are English Learners, this center can have its challenges.  One way to scaffold this is through the use of sentence frames to help walk them through the steps to solve.  When we launched the Notebook zone, we spent a lot of time building the expectations and modeling.  There's a page in their Resource Journal they can always go back to if help is needed.

{ Also see: Notebook got you in Knots? }

Each student MUST solve the problem of the week.  Early finishers MAY create their own story problem, or do flashcards.

This seems to be a favorite zone... I mean, what kids don't like to play with TOOLS (if I got a dollar every time I had to say "TOOL or TOY?" in September - ha!)?

I've found that the dollar bins are great for storing and grabbing manipulatives for this center.  At this center you want kids to use manipulatives to solve problems. 

Early finishers who complete the task get to work with any type of problem solving game.  Here are a few of our favorites:

- Head Full of Numbers (like Boggle for equations)
- Mobi (like Bananagrams with equations)
- Rush Hour Jr.
- Rush Hour
- Katamino
- Rubics Cubes
- Tangrams/ Pattern Blocks/ Pentaminoes [spacial shape games]
- Puzzles

Last but not least, there's play with Someone - another favorite.  Think of this center as utilizing a game to cement the standard focus.  Since we've been into multiplication, I found the best way to organize was with a bin and file folders.  I have different bins like this for each unit that I simply have to pull out! #winningagain

Supplies they need are right next to the bin.  If it's a new game, Mrs. Gilbert & I have lots of fun reverting back to 3rd graders to model how it's NOT played and have the kids tell us how we SHOULD play it.  #memoriesaremade

SOoooooooooooo.... clear as mud?
By the end of the week, the weekly menu looks something like this:

The key to ZONES it to remember it's a framework for the guided/balanced math teaching approach.  What works for me is to do the math lesson for the day and with the remaining math time allow the students to do ZONES.  Some days time is limited so we may only have time for one zone rotation (20 minutes), where other days we may have time for 2, or 3 rotations.  I've found for myself personally, 7 is the magic number.  Typically with that amount of rotations, students are able to accomplish weekly tasks. 

Another little tidbit is I color code chosen centers each day for tracking purposes -  as students aren't allowed to repeat a center within the same day (example: Monday I initial in red, Tuesday orange...).  It also helps me to see where they've been and what they've gotten accomplished.  Some students are able to complete a ZONE task in one rotation, while others may need to revisit (on a different day) to complete.  Early finishers who complete a ZONE can go back to do the MAY do options that particular ZONE offers.  

Friday's are known as "FINISH FRIDAYS" and they must complete and turn in the practice page, notebook, and explore work.  Depending on the week, I usually don't do any actual lesson on Fridays to allow for students to focus on completing their ZONES work. 

Here's how the data each week is tracked - it's kind of a hot mess, but it works for me.  Students turn in work as it's completed.  I'm able to document scores each night as I check it.   This also really helps with planning for small groups and remediation.

Annnnnnnnnnddddd.... for sticking with me through this crazy long post... here's your FREEBIE!  Like who wouldn't want a tracking form??  #livingthedream

Still have questions?  Drop us a note in the comment section below!

Rock on,
Kristin

One thing I noticed during ZONES prior to break is that my students are rarely using their resources on their own anymore.  By that I mean their resource notebook and any manipulatives around the room.  When these things are first introduced, they are everywhere.  The students are excited and invigorated by them.  Slowly but surely as I look around the room, I start to see less resources out and students trying to add 13+5 on their fingers.  

So . . . the week before break we paused on our ZONES rotations and went through each of our activities whole group.  We talked about what resources would be good to use with each activity and practiced using them.  

It was great!  Students had their 120 chart out again and were comparing it against the numbers they were writing and the numbers they were putting in order from least to greatest.  We all felt reinvigorated.  Number lines were being used.  The manipulatives didn't feel neglected anymore!

I think in first grade, and maybe all others grades, it is important to be explicit and repetitive with the use of resources.  They know they're there, but it's easier to slip back into what they are used to doing. I need to consistently remind them of what is available to them and what they could use until it becomes second nature to them.   

To start, after break I am going to have the students tell me what resources or strategies they are using when they complete an activity.  I think that this will help them to be accountable and it will give me more information about how they are solving problems.  

The first thing I am going to do it put the following on the back of activities or have it to fill out with their activity.  I'll see how this goes and then go from there!

Enjoy the rest of your break!  Don't work too hard!
​-Meghan

One of the most common questions we get is: "What can I use in the Notebook zone?"

Have no fear - your answer is here!

The Notebook zone is my personal favorite, because it forces students to use the language of math in a meaningful way.

The most common activity in the Notebook zone is for students to solve a problem, and then explain how they solved it.

What does this look like in a classroom? In first grade, Meghan has the awesome privilege of having iPads in her classroom.  Students "grab the story problem (there are 2 each week) and scan the QR code.  It then reads the story problem to them."  If you don't have iPads, there are these buttons where you can record your voice, students press the button, and it plays your voice.  Or, you can always go old school and use a tape recorder :)

After students get the story problem, they use a template to "draw the sketch, number bond and number sentence for the story problem."  Then they verbally record their thinking -- an explanation of the problem and how they solved it -- using the SeeSaw iPad app.  ​

​In third grade, we use journal prompts from K-5 Math Teaching Resources. (On a side note, this website happens to be one one of my all-time favorites for Notebook ideas and Play with Someone games, with tons of free activities organized by standard).

Students glue the prompt to the top of their Notebook page. They leave some work space in the middle, and then they glue a "What I did / Why I did it" t-chart to the bottom. This is where their writing happens. 

​In fifth grade we get a little more in-depth with the writing we expect.  In this example, students have to justify their answer in our place value unit.

Sentence frames and sentence starters are a great support for all students, especially at the beginning of the year when they are just getting used to writing in math.

Other ideas for the Notebook zone?

• Write what students understand / don't understand about the topic you're working on
• Use a diagram like a Fryer model, orour interactive vocabulary page, to write about vocabulary terms
• Explain a term or idea in their own words
• Write a story problem given two numbers and an operation
• Pretend to explain an idea/topic/term/procedure to a new student

Last but not least, I leave you with a video done with the students in Kristin's room. Here, we introduce and model a notebook entry. Students copy the example into their Resource Journal to refer to when they do a notebook entry on their own.

Don't forget to check out our Resources section for more Notebook zone help!

Writing away,
Christi