Matt Coaty

Last week at this time, I was in Renton, WA attending the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) conference and enjoying the scenic Pacific Northwest as a backdrop. I was fortunate to attend with colleagues from my district and the conversation in sessions and over lunch sparked ideas about how to take what we’ve learned back to the classroom. After using BTC strategies for the past few years, I was…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in two years of implementing Building Thinking Classrooms with middle schoolers, it’s this—middle schoolers are quirky. They will find loopholes in everything. Give them whiteboards? They’ll doodle memes before and after solving problems. Randomized groups? Cue the dramatic groans and a few eye rolls. My stragies of dealing with these perceived loopholes have…

We’re back! Students returned to school this past Thursday. The sixth graders entered with a mix of anxiety and excitement. The first few days of school are usually dedicated to building routines and fostering community and this year was no different, although I did change up a few things compared to previous years. Day 1 This year students entered the classroom and picked their own seats. We…

Ever been in a classroom that feels more like a sleep-inducing seminar? I can see you raising your hand. You know the scene: students zoning out, fidgeting like they’re auditioning for a tap dance, begging for bathroom breaks like they’re fleeing a sinking ship. As both a former student and now a teacher, I’ve danced this engagement tango more times than I care to count. But here’s the kicker…

This past Thursday I attended the First Education Math Summit.  Peter Liljedahl was the keynote speaker and this post is designed to synthesize what I heard and take positive steps moving forward as I continue to implement BTC strategies in the classroom. As a middle school math teacher, I’ve embarked on a journey this school year to enhance critical thinking among my students. The insights I’ve…

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Better Thinking Classrooms event in Indiana. The event spanned over two days and focused on the concepts explored in Peter’s book. Overall, the conference was refreshing and provided me with the chance to connect with fellow educators at my school. It had been a while since I last attended an in-person conference, so going with my colleagues…

A different perspective on rounding numbers

Over the past few years, my approach to teaching rounding has followed a similar path. The choice of methodology was often influenced by the adopted textbook within a school district. I would generally guide students to place numbers on a number line and determine their proximity to the nearest value. The class would focused on rounding to the nearest tens, gradually progressing to hundreds and…

Student assesment retakes have been a controversial topic among educators and parents alike. Some argue that giving students the opportunity to retake a test is necessary to ensure that they have mastered the material. This seems to be more prevalent around the circles that embrace standards-based practices. Others believe that it creates an atmosphere where students are not held accountable for…

Math is often seen as a subject that requires excessive computation, but it encompasses spatial reasoning and artistic aspects as well.

Tasks to engage students in reestablishing routines.

On Friday my classes finished their first four days of 2023. This school year students and teachers had about 2 1/2 weeks off from school. Teachers came back for an institute day on Monday, and students returned on Tuesday. I find that every year, the transition from winter break back to a regular school routine can be rough. Students and teachers alike make a hard stop and transition back to…

Reflecting on 2022 and math assessment procedures

As 2022 ends I’m starting to think about next year. I’m now in the middle of a school break and reflecting on the progress that was made this past year. I’ve had some time to think about the last few weeks of school and what will come in January. Before break my fifth grade students finished a unit on decimal multiplication and division. During the first three assessments I kept on finding that…

Student self-reflections during the first trimester of learning

Hey, it’s been a minute and I’m back to blog writing. Feels good to get back to writing amid the turmoil that’s happening on the bird app. So here we go! We’re in the middle of November which marks about a third of the school year. Parent/teacher conferences are right around the corner and Thanksgiving Break is looking appetizing right now. I actually look forward to conferences as I get to…

Reflecting on how to create better quality math discussions in the classroom.

This year my district decided to switch to a new math resource. After using Origo for more than a decade we are now using Illustrative Mathematics. Besides the change in materials, teachers have had to navigate a new platform and instructional approaches that are significantly different compared to the last adopted resource. This change in expectations has been a challenge. The shift in a…

School is open! The first week of the 22-23 school is in the books. It has actually been four days but l will round up because it felt like more than a week. It has been a whirlwind of a first few days as students headed back to school and are starting to settle into new routines. Teachers are doing the same and navigating new instructional resources. This is the first time in three years that we…

New Faces in the Teachers’ Lounge

I hear from time to time that things in education are difficult to change or the status-quo goes. It is possible to make a shift but that takes time, leadership and often a large amount of support. One thing that has changed quickly is the amount of teacher movement this summer. The sheer amount of teacher and admin position movement this summer is on the rise and I do not think we have seen the…