Annie Forest

Mistakes aren't just okay , they are gifts ! Six years ago, I was attending some amazing professional development as part of the West Cook Math Initiative- now called Metro Chicago Math Initiative . We had a frequent guest facilitator, David Foster , leading us in a math talk and then discussing re-engagement lessons. I will never forget the day that he said, "Mistakes are gifts." In fact, I believe he said he had heard this from a teacher in Japan that was explaining the role that mistakes can play in helping students understanding mathematical concepts. Bottom line, I don't know who to give credit to for this quote, but it certainly has had an impact on me. It is something that I repeat to students that I teach, teachers that I coach, and participants in professional development that I lead. I just can't say it enough! Here's my vlog of my reflections on this idea: If you like the idea of using mistakes in your classroom, consider re-engage...

This is my first attempt at "vlogging." It's blogging but with video! This is pushing me out of my comfort zone a bit because, as most people, I hate seeing myself on video or hearing myself talk!! And look how my face is frozen in a weird way on the video below. Ugh! But I think this is a powerful way to reflect on my practice and share ideas I've done in the classroom, so I'm giving it a try. I hope you find this idea helpful. I call it "strategic eavesdropping." It is a teacher move that you do in the classroom as students are working or discussing. You do this to find students work/thinking to share to the group and facilitate class discussions. It is probably something that you are doing already! What makes this a little different than just walking around and listening to kids talk is the  strategic part. You are going to use what you overhear to plan, in the moment, for how to reveal student thinking to the group. Give this video a watch and ...

I had an opportunity to teach on a 45-minute traditional class period schedule and a 90-minute block. Both models have their pros and cons. I think my own preference is block schedules because you have so much more time to dive into content. There are fewer transitions and it just seems calmer and more conducive to learning. However, one major challenge is finding purposeful ways to fill that block. If you notice that you are doing one activity for a long period of time, it might be important to think about chunking. What I mean by chunking is thinking of you period in 15-20 minute chunks of time and planning activities within those chunks. I find it's difficult to keep students attention if something lasts longer than 20 minutes, so that was my maximum for any activity (except an assessment). I developed the following sample block plans based on 85 minutes. So, if you have 60 minutes you can think about cutting out one of these pieces. If you teach 90 minutes, add 5 minute...

The Hows: How do we fix math education? How do we address issues of equity and access? How do we improve test scores? How do we choose curriculum materials that encourage inquiry, exploration, problem solving, and application? How do we improve number sense? How do we make math fun, relevant, engaging, and meaningful to students? How do I set up positive norms in math class? How do I address math anxiety of my students? parents? other teachers? The Whats: What is the best curriculum? What interventions are best? What approach is better? What is the purpose of math education? What are we doing wrong (or right!)? What will get us the biggest improvement the fastest? What do teachers need to improve their teaching? What do students need to improve their learning? These are just some of the questions I think about, am asked, or read about daily. Daily! The longer I'm in education, the longer my answers to these questions become. I see peoples' eyes glaze o...

My new app obsession is  1 Second Everyday . The idea is to take 1 second of video each day and compile it into a video. I first purchased the app for my iPhone with the idea of capturing video of my kids. I've been doing it and it's great!! When you put all the clips together it tells such a great story. The app is very easy to use. You can use video saved from your camera roll or you can record video within the app. It is also a cinch to watch, select, and crop your 1-second of footage to use. Finally, you just hit play and the app puts all the 1-second pieces together. Easy-peesy! A few weeks ago, I started thinking about how I might use the app in school. With a $4.99 price tag, it probably isn't feasible to purchase for students and have them creating their own 1 Second Everyday compilations. However, as a classroom teacher, how amazing would it be if you captured just one second from each day of the school year and at the end of the year you had an ...

Instead of making full-blown new year's resolutions, I have joined the movement of choosing just one word. Two years ago, I chose "calm" and last year my word was "authentic."  This year, I have chosen the word purposeful . I decided to choose "purposeful" because I think it is going to help me be more focused and intentional this year. I tend to be one of those people that say yes to everything before I really know what is being asked of me. While I love having my hands in several projects at a time, it can sometimes make me feel a bit scattered and I'm wondering if I'm having as much of an impact as I would like. My work feels like a calling to me. It's something I think about in my free time. I like blogging about it and connecting with other educators-- it's almost like a job and hobby! It feels like there is a bigger purpose and that is important to me. Helping others find their "purpose" in education is something...

Many people are glad to see 2016 go, and while I agree there were some difficult things about the past year, there were also some really great things . My son was born , I started a new role as instructional coach, and I became an ICTM board member! That being said, I do like the new year because it is a time to reflect and set some goals for the upcoming year. So, welcome 2017, the 306th prime number! When you have little kids, the party peaks at about 6pm. In fact, this year the kids all had pretty bad colds. So, I wiped everyone's noses, got out our "party" decorations and gathered the fam for a group selfie. My 2-year old was into it for about 5 minutes and then declared, "party over." :) Here's to a great 2017! I hope you find happiness and success both professionally and personally in the new year!