I have a Guided Math Question for YOU!

     I received this last night around 7 o'clock. I didn't even open the package until midnight, for some unknown reason I thought it was my cute BEE erasers that I ordered from MPM School Supplies, since I also got a big package from them,(I ordered a new Calendar, so it came in a big flat box) which at the time I didn't realize contained ALL my MPM stuff and the little package was from Amazon.....I am not use to the UPS man visiting my house!
      So at midnight after catching up on my DVR, I finally got around to opening my packages. When I opened this up I was so excited...everyone seems to be talking about it, plus last spring I began doing research on how to improve my Math time. I wanted to do the Math Daily 5, but I struggled at how to put it together.(Which boggles my mind, as I feel like an expert in the D5 during my Literacy block), Last spring I downloaded some PowerPoint help from Lindsey Shannon, very good, it got me thinking about my relationship with Math. Then Pinterest and all the "Guided Math" pins...so needless to say 5 months later I ordered the book!
     I have math-phobia...numbers are hard...and the funny thing is parents think we pass down the bad math gene...but the truth is , there isn't a math gene, you don't get it or not get it...you got to work at it, practice practice practice! I was feeling validated just by reading the first Chapter!!
     Well I didn't start reading it at midnight, that would have been crazy, I waited until my son went off to the Library for his weekly Pokemon League, and I had a few hours to clean out his closet, and READ. I am only on Chapter 3 and I love it!  I have so many ideas in my head and I am stopping to write them down as I'm reading, that is why I am ONLY on Chapter 3!
     I really like the discussion questions at the end of the chapter to help you reflect....and I need your brains to pick on this question...so if you would answer it as truthfully as possible because my answer to this question is vague, it's unsure, it's not measurable and that bugs me! So here goes:

Does your math instruction lead your students to a deep conceptual understanding of the math standards that they are learning? If so, WHAT are you doing that contributes to that?  If not, HOW do you think you would like to change your teaching?

I've been 'chewing' on this for hours...do I? How do I know? Not just a test, but really KNOW?

~Natalie