Krejci Creations

08/22/2023

It's Tuesday!! That means another episode of Elementary Math Chat is live! 🎙️

In this episode, I share 3 common mistakes to avoid when starting a new year and suggestions for what to do instead. You’ll hear tips for fluency activities, setting up parts of your math workshop (small groups, choice boards, partner activities), and formative assessments to help you get to know the academic levels of your students.

You’ll also hear a fun suggestion for your classroom newsletter in the Teaching Tip of the Week. This tip will encourage parents to ask their child about what they are learning and keep them involved in a unique and creative way.

Listen here! https://krejcicreations.com/episode6/

08/01/2023

Today is the day—Elementary Math Chat is live!! 🚀 Here is a quick overview of what you can expect from my new podcast, Elementary Math Chat!

🎙️The podcast will focus mainly on upper elementary topics centered around classroom management and ideas/activities to use in whole group and small group instruction.

🎙️Each episode will be around 15 minutes, just the right amount of time to listen to during your morning commute or while you take a quick walk around the neighborhood.

🎙️At the end of each episode, there is a teaching tip of the week. These are quick ideas you can apply right away!

Be sure to check my stories for details about my Amazon gift card giveaway!

Elementary Math Chat is a podcast for upper elementary math teachers looking for ideas and resources beyond the book. You’ll hear recommendations for structuring your math block, setting up math centers, and differentiating activities, as well as engagement strategies and classroom management tips...

07/11/2020

One of my favorite ways to increase student engagement is through math games. It may look a bit different this year, but it still can be done! It is necessary that we shift our minds from what our students won’t be able to do to what they will be able to do. Once I made that mind shift, I got busy creating digital versions of all my print and play math games. They can still:
✅ Practice an important math skill
✅ Develop relationships with their peers
✅ Learn how to win or lose with manners
✅ Have fun
I hope one day soon I’ll be able to break out the actual games and manipulatives. Until then, I’ll make lemonade out of lemons. Because that’s what teachers do!👩‍💻❤️

10/12/2019

When I saw this fun and festive idea from .rappsclass, I knew I had to do this with my students! 🎃👻 Long division can be a scary topic...might as well have some fun with it. 🧡🖤🧡🖤 I even differentiated the problems according to the eyeball color! 🙌🏻 This activity can be paired with estimating quotients and/or any method of division. My students are going to love this, especially when they get a piece of eyeball gum as a reward for making it through long division. Dollar Tree for the win!🎃

10/02/2019

Need a simple trick to make a math center more engaging? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Turn it into a matching game! We are studying fossils in science, so I took a set of matching fossil cards and turned them into 2-digit multiplication problems and answers. Tomorrow my students will choose a card to solve, find the card with the correct answer, and check by observing the fossils on the other side. One is the fossil and the other is the matching plant or animal before it was fossilized. If they have a match, they know their answer is correct! ✅ So much better than checking an answer key!🙌🏻
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08/31/2019

I need a T-shirt that says, “I survived teaching rounding.” 🙌🏻 I always begin with using number lines and then move toward using the abstract rules. No rhymes or songs they’ll forget in a week for this teacher. 🙅🏻‍♀️ However, no matter how conceptual you make rounding, some students will still struggle. This was one of my favorite activities I did with my small groups once they were ready to ditch number lines. It reinforced expanded form and the concept of rounding to different places. It was a great tool to assess if students truly understood the concept of rounding. I love simple, effective, and low prep activities! 💜 This is not currently in my TpT store, but I’m considering making an editable version. Comment below if you’re interested!🙋🏻‍♀️

07/31/2019

You know that one thing on your checklist you keep putting off because of the MASSIVE amount of time and energy it will take? Organizing my math work mats was that for me. But I finally did it!! 🙌🏻🎉 I’m so excited to have them all labeled and organized by chapter. Now I can find what I need in no time at all! ✅

@ Nashville, Tennessee

07/28/2019

This might be my favorite new idea for my classroom this year. ✨Reference rings!! ✨ I struggle every year with managing and storing anchor charts. While I still plan on using and posting them during a current topic, I will put them away when not in use and keep these up instead. Swipe ➡️ to see what is behind the covers!
My students can simply scan the QR code and watch a video of me explaining how to solve the problem. So, in March when they forget how to multiply, they can check the reference rings!🙌🏻 I just completed the long division set, so I have my work cut out for me to finish the rest. I’m hoping to have these in my TpT store soon!🍎🍎

@ Nashville, Tennessee