Morning Math Meeting/ Calendar Time (Mega Freebie)

After reading Guided Math this summer as part of the book study I have created a few goals for my math program. I know it is unrealistic to implement everything at once, especially since I am moving to a new grade, so I have some short and long term goals for myself.

Short Term Goals

1. Start Math Stretches and Math Meeting  (Calendar) during the first week of school.
2. Integrate more games and small group work on a daily basis.
3. Use weekly math homework to practice necessary skills not just the strand we are currently working on.

Long Term Goals

1. Look towards starting Math Workshop (a freebie will be coming soon!)- I am thinking that about the start to middle of October I will be planning on moving towards a math workshop model in my classroom
2. Learn more about math manipulatives and problem based learning
3. Look into completing my Math Part 1 Additional Qualifications (very long term)

Whew...don't you always feel better when you set some goals? 

So in order to achieve these goals I have been working on creating what I will call Morning Math Meeting. Since I will be teaching Grade 3, not a lot of our time will be focused on an actual calendar so I didn't really feel that calling it calendar would work for me. However, as I have been perusing the blogosphere for ideas, I can tell you that it's basically going to be calendar. 

If you are new to Thinking of Teaching, then you may want to check out my previous post about Math Stretches and my Calendar Outline. I have some freebies posted there as well.

This year I will be teaching in a portable, which is what we call those small (very small) trailer type rooms they put outside of a school when they need more space. I've taught in one before and actually kind of like it, and I'm not worried about being segregated from the rest of the school because.....my school has 20 of these!!! We are waaaaaaay over capacity! It's a whole second school outside the main building. But I digress...

Since I am in a portable with limited wall space I have decided to put my Morning Math Meeting board on a portable cork board. I have all the pieces ready to be printed, cutout and laminated but just haven't had the time yet with the baby arriving and the wedding tomorrow. But, I didn't want to make you all wait for a freebie! Especially since it is Friday!

This is what I envision my Morning Math Meeting will entail in September. I plan to make it an ever changing, flexible part of our math program and even hope to integrate Science down the road. I am still thinking about how much writing my students will be doing, versus orally communicating together. But perhaps, that is a post for another day?

So, without further ado here is the freebie. I would really appreciate any and ALL feedback from you if you choose to download this freebie. Comments are wonderful and help so much! Thanks.

The clipart in this freebie is from Scrappin Doodles and the font is from Kevin and Amanda.

My calendar/math meeting was inspired by:

Primary Inspired

Teaching in Room 6

Mrs. Meacham's Classroom Snapshots

Mama Jenn