Can Help-Need Help Signs Lyn Montgomery, 4th Grade Teacher

"My problem was in teaching math lessons. Students who had trouble understanding the lesson, were shy about verbally asking for help. I came up with the idea of red and green lightbulbs. Each child had a set at their desk. During the lesson, to check for understanding, I might ask the students to hold up the green bulb if they understood and the red bulb if they didn't understand the concepts. When time came to practice the skill, if a student was still at a loss, he would place the red bulb in the corner of his desk. That would let me know who needed my help. What seemed to work best was my green bulb people would pair up voluntarily with the red bulb people for private tutoring. It worked because there was no embarrassing raising of the hands. Those that needed help felt more comfortable and my "green bulbers" were delighted to be the "teacher". This was done on an informal basis and the students might be a green bulb one lesson and a red bulb the next."

Practice in Addition Janine, Elementary Inclusion Teacher: Eugena, Oregon

"This idea can be used for developing skills in adding. One at time, read the following directions to students and ask that they calculate their responses on paper:
1) Choose a number between 10 and 100.
2) Add 95.
3) Cross off the numeral in the hundred's place.
4) Add the digit you crossed off.
5) Add 4.
6) The resulting number should be your original number that you started with. For example: 88+95=183; Remove the 1 from the hundred's place; you are left with 83+1=84; add 4=88! For real challenge, ask students why this happens."

Exploring Geometry Paul, Junior High School Teacher: Rock Springs, Wyoming

"Ask your students to list five reasons to study geometry. Ask them to then list ten jobs that require knowledge of geometry. Once all responses are offered, ask students to create geometry problems that are encountered in every day life situations. Use this as a basis for introducing concepts related to geometry and ask students to continue to contribute ideas about the practical use of geometry...make sure you discuss those ideas that students come up with."

Looking for Shapes Colleen, Primary Grade Teacher: Peoria, Illinois

"Provide children with a pad and pencil. Take a walk outside around the school, the play ground, or areas near by looking for objects in which circles, triangles, or squares are visible. Ask children to sketch the objects that they notice and that they are particularly interested in. When you return to the classroom, ask children to draw one of the objects they sketched, then paint it or color it. Ask them to outline the shape or shapes in the drawing and label whether it is a circle, triangle or square. Let the children discuss their findings either in pairs or in a small group. Display their work."

Relationships and Patterns Jackie, 5th Grade Teacher: Madison, Wisconsin

"Write the beginning of a number pattern on the board. Example: 18, 15, 12, ___, ___, ___, Call on students to name each succeeding number. Remind students that if they look at the first two numerals, they can determine what happened between them. You can guide them by asking them if the second number is larger or smaller? How much larger or smaller? Which math operation was used to make it larger or smaller? Then ask them to write the resulting answer between each pair of two numbers. Once they discover the pattern, ask them to create their own patterns and share them with a partner."