What I've Been Up To...and Math Workshop Monday {10.28.13}

Hi, friends.  It's nice to see you again.  I've been on a little bit of a break.  It wasn't planned. It was needed, though.  I have been swamped and couldn't keep my head above water.  How many of you are also feeling it?  I just finished Parent/Teacher Conferences...a long day...and I hope that as this new quarter begins, things will settle down.  Please tell me that they will :)  Lie if you have to...

Here are a few things that I've been up to in addition to being swamped.
First: I got a "new-to-me" Miata convertible.  I had one 17 years ago but when I got pregnant with this beauty with me, I had to get rid of it.  Now, I have one again!

So, I had to chop of my hair a bit:

Still getting used to it.  In this picture, I'm heading off to Denver for my cousin's wedding and to visit my brother and his family.

Then, this past weekend...I had another adventure:

I was lucky enough to head to the Michael Buble concert with my partner-in-crime concert/Disney fanatic friend!  It was fabulous!  If you haven't had a chance to see him and can...you must!

Check out his ending.  He is truly so thankful for his fans and it shows.  I love that about him.

How genuine.  Loved it!

Now, on to the reason for being back.  I'm back with another installment of the Math Workshop Monday Series.

This week's focus will be on the third rotation:

During teacher time, I am teaching my small groups.  I've changed this a bit over time, too.  I feel like I say that with every post, but it's so true.  I think that each year/month/week/day, I'm learning something new and changing yet something else.  That's what I love about teaching.  Each day is a new day and I can strive to make math workshop work better every day.

Last year, I taught the lesson that the students would be working on during "At Your Seat" the following day.  This worked for my groups last year, but didn't for my groups this year. This year, I teach a brief review of what they are working on during "At Your Seat", but I'm starting to teach a review skill with each group, too.  I am so excited that I'm starting to do this now.  To me, this is what small group instruction should be.  I should be focusing on the needs of each student/group.  True differentiated instruction!

I use the Math Moves Daily Spiral Review assessments to guide what I teach in my small groups.

Each week, we complete the Math Moves daily "morning work".  At the end of the week, I give an assessment based on the skills that were covered that week.  I am LOVING this!  It allows me the opportunity to see my students' strengths and weaknesses in all of the Common Core Standards.   I can work on fractions in my small groups based on the Math Moves assessments before teaching the whole unit on fractions.  The benefit in doing so will allow that skill to be mastered more easily when the time comes.

Does this happen every day?  No.  Sometimes the skill that we are covering (and then reviewed during "At Your Seat") is more difficult and takes up the entire small group time. When I do have time to throw in an added mini-lesson, I squeeze it in!  Every second counts!

How do you organize Math Workshop?  I'd love to hear and learn from you!  Email me or comment below :)