10 Tricks to a More Productive Math Classroom

The classroom can be an overwhelming place with twenty plus students all wanting your attention and needing different things.  When I am working in a classroom, I constantly looking for ways to be more efficient and provide as many resources as possible to my students.  Here are some of the creative ways that I made my classroom more efficient and in turn, more productive.  ​

The Simple Things - Here are a few of the little things that I did in my classroom that ensured students had the tools they needed at the same time as having to take some responsibility for themselves.  

1. White boards and Dry Erase markers: I had a class set of small dry erase boards with a grid on one side and the other side was blank.  The students love the non-perminance of the whiteboard and would complete more work on the whiteboards than they would on paper.

           TIP: The markers last longer if you keep them tip down in a container.  
           MONEY SAVER: I had each student bring in a pack of 5 thin dry erase markers at the beginning of the   
           year.  I took them as stock for a working class set and left the rest in my desk drawer to replace the 
           ones that died.  

• Acrylic-board as white board: I hung sheets of acrylic board on the walls in my classroom, it was like having extra whiteboard space.  When my students were working on long problems in groups, I would have them standing at the whiteboard and acrylic-board working through the problem.  They liked to work standing up, in fact some of them would choose to do their practice problems on the acrylic-boards, and it ensured that the whole group could see what was going on in the problem solving process.  If you don't have enough wall space for the acrylic boards, it is possible to get the board cut into desk size pieces and use it in a similar manner.  

           TIP: once a week I would scrub the acrylic-boards with a magic eraser to remove the left over colour.

• Extra writing utensils: I kept pencils and pens in a cup on my desk and I made students sign them out.  It didn’t work perfectly but they usually were signed back in at the end of class epically if I reminded them.  To keep my cup stocked, I made a deal with the cleaners and they would pick up any pens and pencils they thought would be useful in the hallways for me.  I made them a batch of cookies at the end of the year to say thanks!
• Calculators for loan: I always had a extra few calculators in my classroom that I would put on loan, in exchange for something I knew the students wouldn’t go far without.  Car keys and cell phones were always good collateral.  

Things to Laminate - Laminating makes your work last longer and things look more valuable and it makes them a great surface for dry erase markers.   

• Number lines: l always kept a class set of laminated number lines in a cupboard.  The students knew where they were and were allowed to use them when ever they chose.  Students who were struggling with adding, subtracting or multiplying integers would often use the number lines and a dry erase marker to aid them.  Students also found them very useful when they were trying to order numbers.  
• Formula sheets: For each level I taught I copied a class set of formula sheets one colour of paper then laminated them. Each class had a different colour for their formula sheet.  I allowed the students to write on the formula sheets with dry erase markers during exams and class as long as they erased it before handing it back.  Writing on the formula sheets was a great memory aid for many students when it came to the uses of their formulas.    
•  Nets of 3D Shapes: I copy all the different 3D shapes used in my classes, laminate and folded them for students who were learning or working on surface area.  The students would fold the shape up, write the dimensions on the shape, (again using dry erase markers) and then unfold it to find the area of each of the 2D shapes.  This worked really well for any students who were struggling with surface area of 3D shapes.   

Transparencies - Transparencies are a great way to make sets of some of the tools we use so regularly in math.   

• Photocopy Protractors: At the beginning of the year I would photocopy about 40 protractors on tho transparencies.  If you look in black line masters books there is usually a  page of protractors that are meant to be photocopied.  Copying your protractors ensures that they are all the same because sometimes the ones that students buy at the stores are not all the same and don’t all work the same way.  

           TIP: the protractors need to be cut out if they are going to be used to draw angles.  

• Photocopy rulers: I kept a class set of photocopied (onto transparencies) rulers.  This ensured when I was teaching my class to measure using a ruler that they all had the same measurement and the same measures on their ruler.  Any ruler is photocopiable, however depending on your photocopier there will be better and worse rulers to copy. 

           TIP: Photocopied rulers are only good for measurement, nor drawing.  

• Transparencies for transformations: I cut transparencies sheets into quarters and handed them out along with dry erase markers when we were working on transformations.  Students lavished in the ability to see the original and the transformation at the same time.  This was especially good for rotations when some students really struggle.   

          TIP: make sure the students erase when they are done because the markers will stick permanently if 
          it sits on the transparency too long.  

Some of the tips and tools I have shared are time consuming to start but once they are completed they made my classroom run much more efficiently.  If you have any ideas that you use in your classroom leave them in the comments section. I know I am always looking for new ideas to improve efficiency.