There never seems to be enough time in my teaching day, let alone math block to get everything in. I can’t be the only one who attempts to fit in a lesson, practice, math learning centers, exit ticket, and enrichment into a microscopic amount of time. When I taught elementary school, the day could ebb and flow as it needed to but that usually left the last subject of the day (science) cut short or nonexistent. In middle school, my math block can’t run over because my students have other classes to attend!
Learning how to structure my math block became a game-changer for me. I knew what parts of a guided math schedule I wanted to follow, but creating the perfect routine was a ton of trial and error. It’s taken me 5 years but I think I finally have a math block schedule that I can be proud of. If you are looking for ideas on how to create a guided math schedule 5th-grade style, then stay tuned!
Pieces of my Math Block
There are some key components that I wanted to include in my math class such as math learning centers, partner games, and exit tickets along with parts that I had to include like whole group lessons. Add in a time constraint of 45 minutes and all of a sudden I’m scrambling. However, I learned that I could combine pieces to create a (nearly) perfect timed block.
Math Learning Centers
I wanted to include math learning centers every day but ultimately decided I didn’t have the time to do it and do it well. I decided to take 1 day a week and make the whole class period all about stations. Fridays worked the best for me as I had taught multiple lessons during the week that we could review. I had data from daily exit tickets so I could pull students into small groups and reteach when necessary. My students look forward to ‘fun’ Fridays because they know they can play math games with their friends while still getting help on tougher concepts.
Exit Tickets
I decided to do exit tickets after each lesson so that I could see how well my students were learning new concepts. I love using digital exit tickets (like plickers!) so help me sort data easily. Sorting data when teaching 120 students can be a challenge but by making it digital, the computer can help me out. The drawback to this is that I can’t see student work so if a topic is very work-dependent I will still use paper exit tickets. If there’s time in my math block we grade them as a class so that all I have to do is sort. But with a short class period that doesn’t always happen. If you are looking for more formative assessment ideas be sure to check out this post!
Enrichment
Another component I knew I wanted to include is enrichment for my students that need a challenge. I have a problem of the month challenge problem that students can work on if they finish something early. I also include enrichment during our Friday stations. This is the time where students can work in a small group on a PBL, extension problems, or even try on 6th-grade math standards. As I teach both 5th and 6th grade, I can easily grab something from my 6th-grade class to provide my 5th graders with some challenges.
Small Group Instruction
In addition to meeting with my students who need a challenge, I also want to offer small group support for students who are struggling. This is a carry-over from when I taught elementary school and I fell in love with working with students one-on-one or in a small group. Grouping in math is important as you can help multiple students who are struggling with the same mistake all at once. I keep my math groups flexible and based on the exit tickets during the week. Math groups are different from reading groups because a student could struggle with fractions while rocking multi-digit multiplication. By keeping the groups fluid, students get the help they need on the topics they need additional support.
Whole Group Lessons
Whole group lessons are a must, especially when working with a short class period. I try to limit my whole group lessons to a few times a week. The basic structure of my whole group lessons includes a short set of notes (15 minutes max), partner practice (about 15 minutes), and then an exit ticket (about 5 minutes). I want students to have some sort of notes to refer back to as they solve problems so I like notes to include the steps to solving. Partner practice is important for students to start to try learning on themselves. My students sit at tables so partner practice is easy to incorporate. Partner practice can look different but I usually just include a few problems on the back of the notes sheet for students to solve.
Math Activities
Similar to whole group lessons I also like to play math games as a whole class. In these lessons, we will do a scavenger hunt or play math games with task cards. Sometimes we take a day and play tic tac toe games at their table groups to practice challenging topics like the multiplication algorithm. Days like this are important to not only shake up a routine but to give students practice in a different way than a boring worksheet.
Math Warm Ups
I always start my math block with some sort of warm-up. I love using my number of the day sheets for this as it’s a basic routine that stays year-round. This is great for building number sense and spiral review throughout the school year. It’s easy to forget about long division when we are in the heart of our geometry unit but with these Number of the Day warm-ups, I can keep students reviewing as we learn new topics. Other warm-up ideas can simply be a homework problem from the night before, a challenging problem, or a review of math facts.
Anchor Charts
During my math units, I also include anchor charts as a way to build student learning. These math posters are created by students and hung on the wall to help students remember challenging topics. I will also print mini charts for students to keep in their math folders as references.
Homework
I don’t include homework as a part of my math teaching but that is a personal preference. If you have to include math homework, you could take a couple of minutes on Friday to spot-check answers as a whole class. You could also do a homework quiz with questions from the homework as the problems. I’ve seen both of these work with success and a simple way to quickly add homework to part of your math block.
How my math block looks on paper
Now that I identified all of the components I want to have in a math block, I need to work to fit them into my real-life schedule. Every week, this is a peek at my planner but it does change based on my student needs.
A whole group lesson breaks down with timing:
10 minutes: number of the day routine & checking answers
15 minutes: notes or anchor chart
15 minutes: partner practice
5 minutes: exit ticket
Sometimes the partner practice doesn’t quite take all 15 minutes so we will jump into the exit ticket earlier. This leaves time to check the ticket, saving me a step in grading and sorting students for my Friday groups.
Math Learning Center Break Down
M-Ms. Glitter time
A- At your seat (independent practice)
T- Technology (prodigy)
H- Hands-on (partner games)
I don’t use timed math stations so I just provide a couple of activities for students to complete. Students need to complete the independent practice which doesn’t take more than 15 minutes. Then students can choose either technology or partner games. Sometimes the independent practice is on technology like digital task cards so those station ideas are combined for the week. If you want to learn more about my math learning center routine, check out this post for more information.
Month at a Glance for my Math Block
This is what my math block looks like over a couple of weeks. I use different resources to shake up my lessons like incorporating digital task cards, math learning centers, hands-on learning labs, and anchor charts. Routines like Number of the Day warm-ups, exit tickets, and stations on Fridays stay the same to offer consistency. A mix of routine and different lessons is the sweet spot for upper elementary and middle school students. I use a similar layout for both my 5th and 6th-grade classes.
Other Math Block Schedule Ideas
Looking for other ideas on how to create a guided math block 5th grade style? Or maybe you want additional resources to create the best schedule for you and your students? Check out these posts for other ideas!
- Math learning centers (my post)
- A Look at My Math Block (a great layout for younger elementary grades)
- Scheduling your Guided Math Block (awesome ideas for different time constraints)
- Making the Most of a 90 Minute Block (have more time to devote to math? This post has a ton of ideas to help you structure it)
While there are time constraints with a 45-minute math block, you can also get creative with creating a guided math block schedule that works for you and your students. With anything in education (or life) time is of the essence. Learning how to run a math block is key to successfully teaching everything you need to in 45 minutes.
[…] group. On math intervention days, I keep each topic’s assignment short and sweet. I only have a 45-minute math block anyway. I also don’t want students to feel overwhelmed with a worksheet full of 40 problems. By […]