mattcoaty
Matt Coaty
Educational Aspirations
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Moving from Mimicry to Meaningful Learning
Ever been in a classroom that feels more like a sleep-inducing seminar? I can see you raising your hand. You know the scene: students zoning out, fidgeting like they’re auditioning for a tap dance, begging for bathroom breaks like they’re fleeing a sinking ship. As both a former student and now a teacher, I’ve danced this engagement tango more times than I care to count.
But here’s the kicker…
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First Education Math Summit with Peter Liljedahl
This past Thursday I attended the First Education Math Summit. Peter Liljedahl was the keynote speaker and this post is designed to synthesize what I heard and take positive steps moving forward as I continue to implement BTC strategies in the classroom. As a middle school math teacher, I’ve embarked on a journey this school year to enhance critical thinking among my students. The insights I’ve…
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Better Thinking Classrooms Conference
About a week ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Better Thinking Classrooms event in Indiana. The event spanned over two days and focused on the concepts explored in Peter’s book. Overall, the conference was refreshing and provided me with the chance to connect with fellow educators at my school. It had been a while since I last attended an in-person conference, so going with my colleagues…
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Rounding Numbers
A different perspective on rounding numbers
Over the past few years, my approach to teaching rounding has followed a similar path. The choice of methodology was often influenced by the adopted textbook within a school district. I would generally guide students to place numbers on a number line and determine their proximity to the nearest value. The class would focused on rounding to the nearest tens, gradually progressing to hundreds and…
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Assessment Retakes
Student assesment retakes have been a controversial topic among educators and parents alike. Some argue that giving students the opportunity to retake a test is necessary to ensure that they have mastered the material. This seems to be more prevalent around the circles that embrace standards-based practices. Others believe that it creates an atmosphere where students are not held accountable for…
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Area and Math Mosaics
Math is often seen as a subject that requires excessive computation, but it encompasses spatial reasoning and artistic aspects as well.
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Transitioning Back to School
Tasks to engage students in reestablishing routines.
On Friday my classes finished their first four days of 2023. This school year students and teachers had about 2 1/2 weeks off from school. Teachers came back for an institute day on Monday, and students returned on Tuesday. I find that every year, the transition from winter break back to a regular school routine can be rough. Students and teachers alike make a hard stop and transition back to…
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Math Assessments and Self-Reflections
Reflecting on 2022 and math assessment procedures
As 2022 ends I’m starting to think about next year. I’m now in the middle of a school break and reflecting on the progress that was made this past year. I’ve had some time to think about the last few weeks of school and what will come in January.
Before break my fifth grade students finished a unit on decimal multiplication and division. During the first three assessments I kept on finding that…
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Student Reflections Before Parent/Teacher Conferences
Student self-reflections during the first trimester of learning
Hey, it’s been a minute and I’m back to blog writing. Feels good to get back to writing amid the turmoil that’s happening on the bird app. So here we go!
We’re in the middle of November which marks about a third of the school year. Parent/teacher conferences are right around the corner and Thanksgiving Break is looking appetizing right now. I actually look forward to conferences as I get to…
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Better Quality Math Discussions
Reflecting on how to create better quality math discussions in the classroom.
This year my district decided to switch to a new math resource. After using Origo for more than a decade we are now using Illustrative Mathematics. Besides the change in materials, teachers have had to navigate a new platform and instructional approaches that are significantly different compared to the last adopted resource. This change in expectations has been a challenge. The shift in a…
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First Four Days
School is open! The first week of the 22-23 school is in the books. It has actually been four days but l will round up because it felt like more than a week. It has been a whirlwind of a first few days as students headed back to school and are starting to settle into new routines. Teachers are doing the same and navigating new instructional resources. This is the first time in three years that we…
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New Faces in the Teachers' Lounge
New Faces in the Teachers’ Lounge
I hear from time to time that things in education are difficult to change or the status-quo goes. It is possible to make a shift but that takes time, leadership and often a large amount of support. One thing that has changed quickly is the amount of teacher movement this summer. The sheer amount of teacher and admin position movement this summer is on the rise and I do not think we have seen the…
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First Name Math and Art Project
First name math and art project: Exploring coordinate grids in a unique way.
It is official. The 21-22 school year is in the books. It was a year like no other as teachers navigated remote, hybrid and in-person learning throughout the school year. One of the last projects of the year involved a first name coordinate grid task. During the last week of school my class explored coordinate grids and plotting points. Students found the midpoints of lines and solved problems…
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Area of Complex Shapes
Area of Complex Shapes
One of my classes has been exploring area lately. They started by counting squares and differentiating between what is considered area and perimeter. Students were able to add halves and reasonably estimate what the area of a rectangle, parallelogram and triangle would be based on a brief observation. Becoming precise was not valued early on in the process but proved to be a tough transition as…
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Stock Market Game Simulations
Stock Market Game Simulations
My fifth grade math class has been participating in a stock market game simulation this year. In years past, this has been a culminating math extension activity for students where they can see how math and economics are related. Students use spreadsheets, gather data related to revenue/expenses, use math terms such as interest, rate and explore world events that impact markets. All-in-all, it is…
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Fraction Division Strategies
During the last week one my classes explored fraction division concepts. Students completed word problems involving dividing fractional pieces and they were finding the idea challenging. In order to gain clarity, I worked with students in small groups to determine where the trouble spots seemed to developed. I started to notice a couple things: 1) students were relying on a fraction division…
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Math and Multilingual Students
Math and Multilingual Students
This year I have been trying to intentionally read more books. Some have been educational while others have been more non-fiction wonderings. During the last couple weeks I have had the opportunity to read Teaching Math to Multilingual Students with a group of Illinois educators brought together by the Metro Chicago Mathematics Initiative. We read a few chapters and meet online to discuss our…
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