Elementary Math Chat

Season One is done! I’m so grateful to each and every one of you for joining me each week to hear my favorite teaching tips and ideas around elementary math. I hope I’ve helped make your teacher life much easier, and I’m excited to reflect on what this season has meant to me in this Season One finale. In this episode, I answer a few questions that were submitted in a Q & A survey. I also share my final thoughts and reflections on Season One, my plans for the future of Elementary Math Chat, and one final Teaching Tip of the Week to help you work smarter and not harder to finish your end-of-the-year checklist. Connect with me: Instagram Join my Newsletter Follow my TPT Store To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode41. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

The countdown is on...summer vacation is right around the corner! With all the special events that fall at the end of the year, the final week of school can be challenging to plan for. Every day has a different schedule, and the amount of instructional time also varies. If you need help planning activities to keep your students engaged until the end, this episode is for you! This week, I share 5 of my favorite end-of-the-year activities to help keep your students engaged during the final week of school. You’ll hear ideas to help you fill anywhere from 5-10 minutes, 20-30 minutes, or 60 minutes to help you plan around special end-of-the-year events. These activities are low prep and fun for everyone involved, including you! I also share an idea for an end-of-the-year gift in this week’s Teaching Tip of the Week. This gift won’t cost you a dime and your students will treasure it for many years to come. Resources Mentioned: Line Plot Project Create a Math Board Game Mystery Person BINGO Episodes Mentioned: Episode 22: 6 Low Prep and Engaging Early-Finisher Activities Episode 33: Testing is Done! 5 Ideas to Plan For a Day of Fun! To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode40. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Summer is right around the corner, and so are those last-minute requests from parents wanting to know how to prevent the summer slide. This episode is chock-full of ideas to keep kids engaged with math over the summer, which means you'll have plenty of tips to share with your families! This week, Melanie Doppler from Math Coach Connection joins me to discuss simple ways to help families connect math to everyday experiences at home over the summer. She shares clever ways to connect math at mealtime, during a trip to the park, when planning a vacation, and so much more! These tips will help parents keep the conversation going about math over the summer without the dread of making their children sit down to practice math skills, so grab a pen and paper and get ready to hear some amazing tips to share with your families! To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode39. Connect with Melanie: Instagram Website TPT Store The Dog Ate My Homework Podcast Summer Resources Mentioned: Summer Math Guides 3rd Grade Boot Camp Course Information Direct Link to the Course Summer Math Resources Math Projects: 5th Grade Baseball Math Project 4th Grade Baseball Math Project 2nd Grade Baseball Bat Bandit Math Mystery Math Mysteries: All Mysteries Career Projects: 5th Grade Bundle 4th Grade Bundle 3rd Grade Bundle Party Projects: All Party Projects P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

This week, I share my favorite teaching tips and ideas for the second half of my area and perimeter unit. Those lessons covered solving for missing dimensions, problem-solving with area, and a review lesson to help students prepare for the test. You’ll hear ideas to help you teach these concepts in a visual and relatable manner, how to incorporate review skills in your small group activities, and fun ways to help students prepare for the test. Don’t miss this week’s Teaching Tip of the Week where I explain how to play one of my favorite multiplication fact games. This game is unpredictable, it’s full of risk, and that’s what makes it so much fun to play! Resources Mentioned: Missing Dimensions Task Cards (used for whole group lesson) Area and Perimeter Riddles Area and Perimeter Review Boom Cards 4th Grade Test Prep Boom Card Bundle Related Resources: Area of Squares and Rectangles Task Cards Missing Dimensions with Perimeter and Area Boom Cards Related Blog Posts How to Make the Most of Review Days To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode38. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Area and perimeter was one of my favorite units to teach. I enjoyed helping students make real-world connections to what they were learning, and they enjoyed imagining that they were planting a garden or painting a bedroom wall. However, this unit came with its fair share of struggles. In my experience, area and perimeter taught in isolation were simple concepts for most students. They began to confuse the two concepts when they got to word problems, mainly because the words area and perimeter were never included in the word problems. Instead, they had to rely on context clues to determine whether to find the area or the perimeter. This was something I embedded into my lessons from the start! This week, I share my favorite teaching tips and ideas for the first three lessons in my area and perimeter unit on perimeter, area, and area of combined rectangles. I share helpful ways to teach students conceptual understanding and creative ways to embed other review skills into your small group activities. In addition, you’ll hear a clever way to help students determine whether to multiply or divide when converting units of measure in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: Perimeter of Squares and Rectangles Task Cards To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode37. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Why was the quadrilateral late to school? Why did the right triangle go to the beach? The answers to these fun riddles are included in this week’s episode with even more geometry tips! This week, I share my favorite teaching tips and activities for the last three lessons in my geometry unit on classifying quadrilaterals, line symmetry, and shape patterns. I share two days of whole group lesson ideas for classifying quadrilaterals, helpful tips and small group ideas for line symmetry, and how I changed my pattern lesson from one I dreaded to one I looked forward to each year. In addition, you’ll hear a fun idea for a small group extension activity using geoboards in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: Classify Quadrilaterals EDITABLE PowerPoint Lesson - 4th Grade Classify Quadrilaterals Better Lesson (Day 1) Symmetry Sort and Solve Growing Pattern Task Cards with Unifix Cubes Episodes Mentioned: Episode 26: Teaching With Unifix Cubes: 5 Math Skills to Pair Them With Related Blog Posts: Classifying Quadrilaterals: Fun Ways to Learn About Our 4-Sided Friends Simple 2-Day Plan to Help Students Classify Quadrilaterals With Confidence To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode36. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Geometry is one of those topics that people either love or hate. I’ll admit, as a student, Geometry wasn’t my favorite. I could work with numbers all day long. But lines, angles, and theorems? It wasn’t my thing. However, as a teacher, I enjoyed teaching Geometry. It was a nice break from all the fractions and computation we were so used to. But, I was fully aware that my students might have the same dislike for Geometry that I had when I was young. This motivated me to make my Geometry unit as interesting and as engaging as possible. In this week’s episode, I share my favorite ideas for the first three lessons in my Geometry unit, which cover lines and angles, classifying line relationships, and classifying triangles. These ideas include warm-up activities that will hook your students from the start, simple ways to relate Geometry to Olympic sporting events, kinesthetic games to play, and my favorite small group activities. I also share an idea for how to handle those challenging questions that come at the end of your lesson (when student engagement is low) in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: Olympic Skiing and Types of Lines PowerPoint Winter Olympic Athlete and Angles Classify Triangles Sort and Solve Uclid of Alexandria To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode35. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Multiplication facts are the building blocks of upper elementary math skills. Yet many students struggle to memorize these facts and rely on counting strategies and multiplication charts instead. In this episode, Danna Rodebush from Teacher Tech Studio and the host of the Upper Elementary Simplified podcast joins me to discuss what fact fluency means, why it is so important, and how teachers can motivate their students to memorize their math facts. Danna also shares a tip for setting up a fluency program and how to involve parents in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: Free Math Fact Fluency Master Class Connect with Danna: Teacher Tech Studio Facebook Page Upper Elementary Simplified Facebook Group Teacher Tech Studio Instagram YouTube Channel Teacher Tech Studio Website To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode34. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Test prep is no joke! You and your students have worked extremely hard to prepare for state testing. When you finish that final test, I’m sure a sense of accomplishment and relief sets in…and it should! The hard part is over! So, take a victory lap and celebrate with a day of fun. So, what can you plan for the day after testing to give everyone a much-needed break? This day can be tricky to plan for. You’ll likely have students taking makeup tests, so you don’t want to begin a new project or plan a movie day. In this week’s episode, I explain how I created a day of fun choice board that included 5 categories of activities to choose from: draw, color, play, watch, and solve. I share the types of activities within each category and suggestions for additional activities to include. The best part about this day was that I was able to sit at my desk and get some of my own work done for once! I also share a unique job to give a few students to help take a load off of your very full plate in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Episodes Mentioned: EP 30: Help Students Prepare For State Testing With a Simulation Day EP 31: Plan With a Purpose: How to Use Data To Make the Most of Test Prep Week EP 32: Celebrate the End of Test Prep Success With a Glow Day! Resources Mentioned: Directed Drawings Dot to Dots End-of-the-Year Games Pentomino Puzzles Pentomino Puzzle Pieces Pattern Block Activities To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode33. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

You did it! You made it to the final day of test prep. What better way to celebrate than with a Glow Day? This celebration will be the highlight of your week and send your students into state testing feeling confident and ready to rock the test! In this week’s episode, I share everything you’ll need to know to plan a Glow Day for your final day of test prep. I explain how I blended review activities with games, how I held students accountable for their work, and how I set up and decorated the room for the Ultimate Glow Day experience! I also share a video to play during Glow Day that will give your room an extra boost of glow and keep your class focused and calm in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Related Blog Posts: 4th Grade Math Test Prep Kit Resources Mentioned: Some are Amazon affiliate links. There is no extra cost to you, but purchasing through these links helps support the podcast. UV Black Light Bars Black Light Strips for the floor Neon Party Supplies (with paper garlands, circle dots garland and star garland, black light reactive tapes in yellow, green, orange, purple, and pink Neon tape 4th Grade Problem-Solving Packet YouTube Relaxing Kaleidoscope Video To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode32. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers! Connect with me: Instagram Join my Newsletter Join the 4th Grade Math Facebook Group Follow my TPT Store

When it comes to test prep, the week before testing is crucial. There is so much you want to review but so little time left to do so. How do you decide what to cover in your whole group lessons? Should you pull small groups, and if so, what lessons should you review? What type of activities should students work on? I’ll answer all of those questions and more. In this week’s episode, I share how I used the data from the practice test I discussed last week to help me quickly plan my test prep week. I explain what I did for my whole group lessons, small group activities, and choice boards. You’ll learn about a unique choice board, called a TEAM-work activity board, that helped my students get the extra practice they needed on heavily tested skills and how I held them accountable for their work. I also share an idea for a morning meeting topic that will have you covered for an entire month in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Related Blog Posts: 4th Grade Math Test Prep Kit Resources Mentioned: Test-Taking Strategy Posters Free and Editable TEAM-Work Activity Board Test Prep Kit on TPT To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode31. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Ready or not, test prep season is here! If you’re feeling a little anxious or unsure about the best way to prepare for state testing, I’ve got you covered! I’m dedicating the entire month of March to helping you prepare your students for state testing. This week kicks off a 4-part series that will each cover a different phase of preparing for state testing. I’ll share what I did in the early stages of test prep, the week before testing, including a Glow Day, and ideas for the day after state testing. In this week’s episode, I explain the importance of planning a test simulation day for students. The purpose of this day is to get out their jitters, review special rules and strategies specific to state testing, answer all of their questions about testing, and practice taking a timed test in an environment similar to state testing. I also share my go-to time-filler in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: FREE 5 Special Rules for State Testing Posters and Editable PowerPoint FREE Test-Taking Strategy Posters Test Prep Kit To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode30. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

This time of year can be a challenge when it comes to handling classroom behavior. Rules that were once set in stone seem to be tested on a regular basis. Routines that were once seamless seem to be strained. You may feel like you’ve lost control of your entire class. Well, teacher friend, it’s time to take back that control, and you don’t have to be a drill sergeant to do so. In this episode, I discuss 3 common problem areas my class struggled with and the unique and fun ways I addressed them. I explain how I used friendly competitions, challenges, and games to improve transitions, work at a reasonable voice level, and follow simple directions the first time they are given. I also share a teaching tip for adding fractions with like or unlike denominators in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Episodes Mentioned: Episode 28: Why You Shouldn’t Handle Student Behavior Alone and What To Do Instead Episode 23: 6 Things NOT To Do Before, During, and After Your Observation Resources Mentioned: Behavior Assessment Test Prep Kit To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode29. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

If you are seeing a spike in student behavior issues this time of year, you are not alone. This long stretch without a break combined with too many indoor recesses can do a number on student behavior. In this episode, I take you through the steps I took when handling student behavior issues and how I relied on my support system for guidance. I share what to include in your conversation with students, a behavior self-assessment form to give students before speaking with parents, and suggestions for resolving common issues you might be having with students. I also share a tip for how parents can help their child at home with multiplication facts in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: Behavior Assessment Marble Sensory Toys (This is an Amazon affiliate link. There is no extra cost to you, but purchasing through this link helps support the podcast.🙂) Test Prep Kit To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode28. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Multiplying fractions is no problem, top times top and bottom times bottom…it’s that simple, right? Well, not always. In this episode, I share teaching tips, strategies, and activities to help build conceptual understanding of multiplying fractions. You’ll hear tips for adding engagement to these lessons along with common mistakes you can expect to see. Topics include: -Multiples of unit fractions (4th grade) -Multiples of non-unit fractions (4th grade) -Multiplying fractions by whole numbers (4th and 5th) -Multiplying fractions by fractions (5th grade) I also share a unique idea for a small group activity in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: Multiples of Fractions Work Mat Animal Puzzles (for small group activity) Test Prep Kit Episodes Mentioned: Episode 20: 5 Kagan Strategies to Boost Engagement and Build Community To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode27. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Manipulatives are an essential part of elementary instruction. For years my go-to manipulatives were base 10 blocks, fraction tiles, and pattern blocks. That all changed when I attended a Greg Tang conference and learned about the magic of unifix cubes. Previously, I thought these were better for primary grades, but he opened my eyes to all the ways upper elementary teachers can use them. Once I began using them with my students, they quickly became my favorite manipulative! In this episode, I share 5 upper elementary math skills that you can teach with unifix cubes, including basic division, prime and composite numbers, mixed numbers and improper fractions, subtracting mixed numbers, and patterns. For each skill, I explain how to use the unifix cubes and tips to help your students build conceptual understanding. Don’t miss this week’s Teaching Tip of the Week where I share a classroom management tip for using unifix cubes. Related Blog Posts: Subtract Mixed Numbers with Regrouping Using Unifix Cubes Resources Mentioned: Subtracting Mixed Numbers with Unifix Cubes Task Cards Subtracting Mixed Numbers PowerPoint Lesson Subtracting Mixed Numbers Work Mat Test Prep Kit To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode26. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to spread the love and plan a few heart-themed activities! In this week's episode, I share two of my favorite Valentine’s Day-themed activities that you and your students will love! The first is a restaurant simulation where students experience what it’s like to order at a restaurant, pay for their meal, and receive change. In addition, they play the role of a server, take someone’s order, calculate the total cost of the meal, and decide how much change to give their customer. Use real menus from actual restaurants and decorate your small group table to create a realistic Valentine’s Day dinner! The second is a festive Valentine’s Day craftivity, Fraction and Decimal Hearts. These hearts will showcase what they’ve learned about fractions and decimals and are the perfect display in your classroom or hallway for February! Finally, I share a fun activity to help students understand the need for common denominators in the Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: FREE Ordering at a Restaurant Simulation Fraction and Decimal Heart Craftivity To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode25. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

There are so many things to consider when planning for your observation. Will you use the lesson from the workbook or create something from scratch? What kind of activities will you plan? Will you use manipulatives? Will your students work in groups? It’s no wonder that planning for your observation can feel overwhelming! In this week's episode, I share 6 things to make sure you do when it comes to your teaching observation. You’ll hear tips for planning and delivering your lesson as well as managing student behavior. These tips will hopefully help you feel a little less nervous and a lot more confident when your observation rolls around. Don’t miss this week’s Teaching Tip of the Week, where I share tips to find ambiance videos to play for every season, not just the crackling fireplace during wintertime. Resources Mentioned: FREE Lesson Plan Guide Create a Crossword Puzzle Episodes Mentioned: Episode 2: 5 Tips to Help Build a Lesson Plan in Minutes Related Blog Posts: 5 Tips to Build an Effective Lesson Plan in Minutes Favorite YouTube Ambiance Videos by Season: Fall Themes: Cozy Witch Cottage Thanksgiving Fireplace Autumn Thunderstorm Winter Themes: Winter and Snow Christmas Lights with Light Music Christmas Reading Nook Spring Themes: Leprechaun’s House Spring Morning with Campfire Summer Themes: Tropical Beach with Fireplace Fireplace on the Beach To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode24. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

No matter how long you’ve been a teacher, it’s normal to get nervous before an observation. They are a big deal, and you want them to go well! So, how can you motivate your students to behave? How can you make sure your lesson is engaging and effective? What will you do if you have any issues with technology? I discuss all of this and more to help you kick the nerves and feel more confident when your teacher observation rolls around. In this week’s episode, I share 6 things NOT to do before, during, and after your teacher observation. You’ll hear tips for the planning stages of your lesson, what to do if something goes wrong during your lesson, and how to handle a disappointing observation. I also share personal mistakes I made during my evaluations and how I turned those mistakes into valuable lessons. Don’t miss this week’s Teaching Tip of the Week where I explain an idea for a Morning Meeting topic, perfect for the Monday after a long break! Resources Mentioned: No Yell Bell *Amazon Affiliate Link. There is no extra cost to you, but purchasing through this link helps support the podcast. Related Episodes: 5 Kagan Strategies to Boost Engagement and Build Community (EP20) To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode23. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!

Do you struggle with what to do with your early finishers? In a perfect world, all of your students would finish everything at the exact same time, and you wouldn’t have to worry about this. But the reality is, you’re going to have students who finish early, and you don’t want to give them busy work to keep them occupied. They’ll probably fly right through that as well! In this week's episode, I share 6 early finisher activities that are low prep on your end and highly engaging for students. These activities will get their creative juices flowing and provide opportunities for students to continue learning. Several activities, when completed, can even become early finisher activities for the future! I also share an idea for a low-maintenance bulletin board in this week’s Teaching Tip of the Week. Resources Mentioned: Open Middle Puzzles Create a Math Game Checklist Create a Crossword Puzzle FREE Problem of the Month Template To view the show notes with the full transcript, head to https://krejcicreations.com/episode22. P.S. Has this podcast been helpful for you? If so, screenshot an episode, add it to IG, and tag me @krejci_creations. This helps spread the word to other teachers!