The Trouble with the Bellringer
Having students work on a Bellringer (Do Now) at the beginning of class is a great strategy. It helps set a calm and productive tone for the entire day/period and […]
Articles by Chris Skierski
7 Ways to Support our FaceBook Group that don’t Cost you Anything!
Did you know that we have the most amazing Facebook group? It’s true, we have one of the largest (and by far the BEST!) Facebook Groups for math teachers, and […]
Tips for Calling Parents
Many teachers avoid calling parents. We’ve probably all had the experience of a ‘less-than-pleasant’ conversation with a mom or dad of a student. However, phone calls are a very effective […]
Adjusting Student Behavior through Measurable Goals
Johnny walked up to me at the end of class. “Did I do better?” he asked, anticipating a positive response from me. Recently, Johnny had been getting into quite a […]
How to Differentiate Instruction in Your Math Class
In “How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms”, Carol Tomlinson says that there are three types of ways to differentiate your instruction. You can differentiate the content you present […]
Why I Give My Students Second Chance Tests
I recently taught my child how to ride a bike. I gave her quality instruction followed by a sufficient amount of practice time. Though she was struggling to find success, […]
Why I Failed to Flip My Classroom
I first learned of the idea of a Flipped Classroom through Salman Khan’s Ted Talks Presentation (Salman Khan is the founder of Khan Academy), and I thought the idea was […]
How to Help Students Master Two-Step Equations
THE PROBLEM Consider the steps involved to solve a two-step equation. To correctly solve a two step-equations problem the student must perform a series of skills in the correct order. […]
Brain Puzzles
Math Puzzles and Challenges If you love doing math puzzles and critical thinking challenges with your students, I have a 15 pack for you. The download is a PPT slide […]
What if We Taught Math Like We Teach Everything Else?
Think about how you learn a new skill? Any skill. It could be a foreign language, a musical instrument, a technique in a sporting event, an art, craft, or even […]