Get Organized and Make the Most of Your Eureka Math Time

It is time to get the math curriculum started, but where to begin? How?  There are so many components of the Eureka Math curriculum to use.  After gathering technology resources and manipulatives there is EVEN more to use now!  Let’s bring it altogether to make this the most powerful math teaching experience you have had yet.
 
Where Do I Start?
 
Getting started is the most challenging part.  The first place to start is with knowing your materials.  If you wait until you need them, there will be days you wish you knew you had what you had when you needed it.

Organize Your Math Manipulatives: Take out all of your math manipulatives at once.  Sort and organize them into storage containers by type.  For example, separate your base ten models by ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands.  You may also have tangible money pieces, unifix cubes, clocks, fraction pieces, and tangrams.  Having these pieces labeled and organized will help you save time when you are working on a lesson that those pieces will help students model.  It works out great if you have a shelf that is student accessible as well.  This way, when you are working in small groups or modifying, students can easily access the manipulatives they need.  This will save you time in always being the point person of distributing the supplies.
 
Look Ahead Tip: Look ahead at the unit you will be teaching so you know what manipulatives to have ready.  Also, look at the blackline masters that will be needed.  It is helpful to prepare those parts in advance too.  You can also create a bin for them where you keep your math materials.  For example, when you are working on units and need to use the hide the zero cards, base ten mats, or dot cards, print and cut those pieces and have them ready for student access.  If you have a laminator to use, that helps to keep them sturdy for multiple uses.
 
Math Centers: Any math games you have or have created should also be in a student accessible location.  If you do not have shelves, sometimes a file box and hanging folders can be a great way to store and organize math centers.
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Organize Your Technology Resources: How often do we find such awesome technology resources and think,”Will I know to come back to this file when I need it?” Well, sometimes we all have the best intentions, but after getting caught up in the day to day, yes we do forget them!  Nothing is worse than finding something after you need it, right?  Looking ahead will help you to organize your precious saved resources so they are ready at the right place at the right time!
 
Create Digital Folders: One way to organize digital resources is to create digital folders.  How to label them will be what works best for you!  Sometimes, it is great to create folders by module and lesson, but others it is good to have more general folders for resources that can be used again and again.
 
I have found that creating folders by module is helpful, but also to create some general strategy folders as well such as problem solving, fluency, and units.  These are recurring skills that can ​be revisited multiple times.  If they are hidden inside of the module folder, you may be spending some time searching for what you need.
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Organize the Year Ahead: Collaborate with your grade level team to create a year ahead map.  Look at your district and state standards as well as knowing what topics will have to be covered for your state test.  I find it works best to create a timeline to correlate weeks with Modules.  Each district will have an individual calendar and goals to follow.  Planning this ahead with your Eureka Math Modules, will help to be prepared to ensure a tight and effective schedule.  Using this template will also be a valuable resource for you as you set up the materials and technology resources you will need.
 
Use Resources as a Team: Sometimes we may not always have everything we need on hand. Talk to the other teachers on your grade level team. Create a system to rotate materials to make the most out of what is available.
 
Creating an organized way to work with your math materials is hard work, but it truly will pay off and create a stress free feeling as you work through each unit of math this school year!

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I am Stephanie and I have been teaching grades 1-3 for a number of years. I love using Eureka Math to guide my instruction.  I have found this program helpful in making me a more effective math teacher for my students. In my spare time, I enjoy the outdoors and spending time with my family. 
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