Using Rotations with Eureka! by Kimberly Smith

Using Rotations with Eureka!
Imagine having the chance to meet with each of your students during small group time, an opportunity for all students to use technology, and some time for hands-on learning to take place.  If this seems like an impossible scenario during your math block, it’s not!
In my last blog post, I discussed using 10-minute warm-ups in order to bring in number talks, technology, spiral review, and fluency on different days of the week.  In this blog post, you’ll learn how to bring some of these options into one day of Eureka Math.  This option will not always work with your math block since some lessons take a lot longer than others, but the kids definitely enjoy rotations, and so do I!  What I like about this option is that you have the opportunity to really hone in on all of your students’ understanding of the current lesson.  This gives you the chance to talk out misconceptions and see who might need a little extra TLC.  Your students will also work on another activity that may be hands-on or something a little more exciting and fun.
	As a math teacher, I understand how difficult it can be to teach a lesson a day.  We stress because we know that many of our students haven’t fully attained the concept in such a short amount of time.  With rotations, you’ll have some peace of mind because your kids will have four different stations to practice the concept at hand.  What’s nice is that as you meet with groups, you can hold back those students who are really stuck and keep them with you for the remainder of the rotation time if you deem it necessary.
“Never be afraid to try something new, because life gets boring when you stay within the limits of what you already know.” -Unknown
Before rotations begin each day, you’ll need to first teach the lesson.  This may mean shortening some of the fluency activities and teaching a little bit faster, but your students will revisit what they’ve missed during your rotations.  Here is what you can do in order to prepare for math rotations:
	In order to get your rotations running smoothly, you’ll have to do a little bit of prep and planning beforehand.  First, you’ll want to figure out how many and what rotations you’ll offer.  I like to have four different rotations with students spending about 12 minutes in each station.  Click on the link below if you’d like to see some of my notes: My Math Rotation Notes & Ideas.  Here are my four stations: Meet with the Teacher/Teacher Time:  Students get small group instruction as we go over another example from our lesson or a Problem Set problem.  Here, each student gets a turn to explain a step or ask any questions they have.  You can also choose to use whiteboards, so you can quickly assess understanding.  This is also a great time to bring in your Eureka debrief! Independent/Partner Practice:  Kids work on the Problem Set problems either independently or with a partner from their rotation group.  This station is set up right next to where I teach small group, so if they’re stuck, they can listen in on what I’m teaching on the Smartboard.  I also like to check in on them to make sure they’re able to work independently. Hands On/Math Center Fun Activity/Math Games:  This gives kids a chance to try the math in a different way.  Sometimes, we find great activities online that we’d love our students to try but know there’s not enough time with Eureka to fit it in.  This is where you can bring these activities into play.  A hands-on activity would also be fun for kids because they can really see how the math can be used in the real world.  Math games are another engaging way for kids to attack the content or work on fluency skills. Tech Time:  If you have limited technology, this may be a way for you to bring in some more computer time into your math block.  I made my students tech cards with several websites and their login information, so they don’t have to waste time trying to remember how to log in.  Instructions are left at the tech station, so students know exactly what is expected of them.  Here I like to have my students work on assignments on tenmarks.com or zearn, practice fluency facts on xtramath.org, take quizzes on Kahoot or Formative, write a blog on Kidblog or Google Classroom, or even try some coding!  Videos from sites like embarc.online or Khan Academy can also be useful in order for kids to review the math lesson learned that day. Please feel free to comment below should you have any questions, comments, or concerns.  I’d be happy to give you more information! Educating together, Kimberly Smith Loya