When I first started teaching third grade many years ago, I wanted to create a regular time slot each Friday afternoon during which students would choose their own activities. I had high hopes for this “Choice Time.” In my mind I had visions of students playing chess, undertaking construction projects, conducting science investigations, researching topics, and pursuing activities and endeavors that they didn’t have a chance to pursue during a typical school day. In short, I wanted the activities to have “learning value.” I would also use this time to hold students accountable if they didn’t turn in a complete homework packet that morning.

With only five weeks remaining in the 2011-2012 school year, I have begun reflecting on many aspects of the past nine months with my students. The other day I was thinking about the kids who have made large academic improvements and the factors that might best explain these gains.

Since September, a couple children stand out in terms of the magnitude of their academic progress. Both come from supportive families who value education, yet both kids started the year working below grade level in at least one subject area. Now they perform at grade level in all areas and often act as important class leaders.

Introduction

Two weeks ago I shared that my colleagues and I have spent the past few years learning about the Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics. A huge emphasis of this philosophy is the need for students to understand math concepts on a deep level and use strategies that make sense to them. Encouraging students to use a wide variety of strategies to solve problems is a practice that stands in stark contrast to the traditional way that most of us were taught. When I was a student, I learned a series of algorithms that I was expected to follow, step-by-step, whenever I needed to add, subtract, multiply, or divide large numbers.

Last night I walked into a Chipotle restaurant to order a chicken burrito with lettuce, onions, and cheese. I wasn’t hungry enough to eat my customary two burritos (I work out a lot), but a single burrito just wasn’t going to get the job done. So, I ordered a double portion of chicken and was told it would be about $2.00 extra. No problem, I responded. After the final member of the assembly team completed and wrapped the burrito, he wrote a “C” (for “chicken”) on the tin foil so the cashier would know what I had ordered.