What the Kids Want!

After discovering that some of my class still don't like maths (sob) I decided to find out exactly what they liked, didn't like so much, and what they thought I could do to make maths a most enjoyable class.
To be honest, I was really a bit disappointed that they didn't all love maths in Room 7. I thought I was doing pretty good, with all the fun activities, the problem solving groups, the art!
But no, not so. After devising a survey that the children happily (and honestly) filled in, I found out...

• some - would like worksheets please! 
• we want to have a maths games day again (I used to have games day Wednesdays when my class were streamed)
• we don't actually use the homework reflection card (and I thought this was such a great idea!)
• maths in Room 9 was the best fun

So... the first thing that I did was ask what made maths in Room 9 the best. Responses included games, the homework, and that it just was! I talked to Yvette to find out what she does in maths, but things have changed for all of us since beginning the Maths PLD, so it was not going to be as it was when those children were in her class.
Today I observed Yvette's maths lesson so that I could see what maths now looks like in Room 9. I saw super engaged, enthusiastic children, problem solving, talk moves, everything that we have learned being applied, and I gained some very "fun" ideas that I am eager to try!
I'm not going to put all my observation notes here, Yvette will probably put them on her blog anyway so you can check them out there.
It was a most worthwhile observation and I am grateful to Yvette for allowing me to come and watch.

I have warm up games every session, but games day Wednesdays were always so loud! While the majority of the class were focused on practising strategies through games, reinforcing ideas and increasing number knowledge, there were always a few that would be off task, mucking around, and not doing anything to actually extend themselves. Or they would be arguing over turns on the computers (10 minutes, maths games only, 1 person at a computer at a time) but at least they were using time measurement and an analogue clock! And during this time I would be trying to work with a small group.
So from now on, warm up games, whole class, and the opportunity to play other games when they have completed set tasks.
The homework reflection cards that I made... it turned out that they didn't really know what to do with them! So we had a few practises and now that they understand, I think they will be better used! My fault for not explaining properly.
And finally, for those children who love worksheets, and I can't for the life of me imagine why, I have shown them websites where they can select all the worksheets they could possibly want. Which leads me to another thing... next year I think that the children won't even need maths books. They are rarely used now, and a scrapbook would be a much better option.
Before I go, the fun thing we did do this week, totally unplanned, was begin a Post it note challenge. This was inspired by my daughter's email with a photo, she works for Office Max, showing a window decorated with Post it notes to create a big Angry Bird. Warehouse Stationery tried to outdo them with a Pacman design, and now it is a Post it note war. My class wanted to do their own, which they have started on using the grids in their maths books. I now have big plans for area and perimeter with this... there is so much we can do!
And I devised a geometry/measurement assessment task that just worked perfectly, I'll put a photo of that on next time because that's a whole new story!