Tips for Building A Community in Your Math Classroom

I have been teaching math for ten years, and it is definitely one of my passions. My advice to upper elementary math teachers is to have fun in the classroom and be structured so kids can build their math confidence through challenging and engaging activities.

Math About Me…

Math about me from Math Minds at Work on TPT is a great way for students in 5th and 6th grade to wake up their math brains on the first day of math class and share information about themselves. This resource uses rounding, addition, multiplication, and place value. Building positive relationships at the beginning of the year helps students feel invested in their learning. This also impacts the effort they put forth each day in class. Teaching math is not hard if you understand the content and have strong management skills.

Activities that make the beginning of the year go smoothly…

The first few days (before you jump into your math curriculum) can feel very overwhelming. These get to know you days are hectic so it’s important to have easy no prep activities that will build your classroom community, provide opportunities for students to get to know their classroom family, and set the tone for your year.  Here are three things I would suggest you do to prepare for these first few daysyear teacher.

1. Get to know you activities that are engaging and do double duty

Have several on hand…be mindful that technology (ipads and chromebooks) isn’t always working smoothly for students the first few days. Sometimes passwords aren’t working for some students so I plan on paper activities, even though I am obessed with technology in my classroom. Find activities that do double duty like a get to know you activity you can turn into a bulletin board like the sneaker “dunks” link below.

2. Plan out two weeks of lessons on your first unit

Have a basic plan to follow for your first days (and weeks) of school. It doesn’t need to be all content-focused. Begin the year by setting the expectation that your classroom is a place where students will have solid routines and high expectations for learning.

3. Create a plan for classroom management

It is so important to have great classroom management and clear expectations. It is during these first few days that you should implement routines to manage the challenging situations that may arise, especially when students need opportunities to refocus and make better choices. When planning your procedures, think about how your class will go, starting with students entering the classroom, warm ups, how they will get materials out…These are things will save you time and energy throughout the year.

My Top Classroom Procedures:

Here are some common classroom procedures that I teach to my students over the course of the first few weeks:

• Entering and exiting the Classroom
• Class Rules- we spend a lot of time working on a RESPECT Contract together
• Arrival-  homeroom routines, lunch, attendance, morning work & activities
• Homework – taking out hw for checking, writing down hw in agenda, missing hw
• Math Class Routine- warm ups, ignite activities to get our math minds working
• Independent and group work procedurs and expectations
• Hallway behavior and expectations
• Locker usage – appropriate times and organization
• Lunchtime, recess, dismissal procedures
• Check out these resources on TPT at Math Minds at Work:

Most importantly, I have found that if kids know you’re truly invested in them as humans, they will be more invested mathematicians and will work hard on growing their math minds.

Good luck during these first days of class! Happy Teaching!

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You can email me at buildingmathminds.tpt@gmail.com or connect with me on Instagram, my TPT store or Pinterest.