MATH-aliscious! (TOOL TIME revisited)

Recently I posted about our school's new  (Math )TOOL TIME!
On Wednesday we had our first Professional Learning Community (PLC) featuring the Math Manipulatives. We are grouped together for this PLC as: K-1; 2-3 and 4-5...I like the pairing but hope that at the end of the year we can meet with 1st grade too, so we can discuss what they need to be doing to help bridge the Math gap.
At our first meeting, the 3rd grade team made a list of Math deficiencies, or concepts that seem to be problematic, and I must say I agreed with the list. They listed things such as : Basic Math facts, subtracting across zero, problem solving...
As a team we also made a list: place value, basic math facts, transposing numbers, following directions (problem solving)... but I felt that our list wasn't as helpful to the 3rd grade team as it would have been to the 1st grade team!
 I wonder if we can articulate these needs sometime during the year?? No I don't want ANOTHER PLC, just maybe visit with our colleagues and have a math discussion now and one at the end of the year...at least we know what to fix for our 3rd grade teachers and they see what our issues are.

During our time together on Wednesday we had a lesson presented to us using manipulatives. They used buttons. We sorted them by categories that we had to come up with. Then we were challenged to use this manipulative or idea in a lesson during our TOOL TIME. Easy enough...we were also asked who would like to teach a lesson using manipulatives for next month's meeting...yes I did volunteer first...but I also have the intern remember...funny thing is I have to work with a 3rd grade teacher on this lesson. My friend in 3rd who also happens to have an intern volunteered first too...we are thinking the new kids on the block can handle this challenge! L.O.L

If you know me then you know I already have an idea that I want to share- (Place Value of course). ...  the Math Coach posted a base 10 block math mat  and someone else posted "Mystery Number" build the number and solve the mystery...yeah for my fellow blogging buddies and Pinterest...lesson done! (It's not even due until October something!)

If you are wondering how my Guided Math time is going...it's FINALLY taking a turn in the right direction. I think I was over thinking it! I wanted to do it exactly like in the book:

 

...but then I really like the T.I.M.E idea that has been flying around Pinterest...I was trying to make BOTH of these ideas work at the same time and decided to STOP and re-group! I am using the "system" I used last year AND making it fit into the structure of Guided Math...so much better...I feel like I know how to function in this zone. After 19 years of teaching you would think I would know better than to try and re-invent the wheel!!!!!

 

All's well that ends well!

 

Now that I have a good handle on Math, I am still struggling to find adequate writing time...I started a Reading Response Journal as part of the Daily 5- (keep tract of your CAFE lessons type idea)...so I am hoping this will let me find a little writing time with-in the 90 minute reading block....not too worried about this YET...next week I need to tackle FAIR testing!!!

Wish me Luck!